For Immediate Release
‘Coded Bias’ Featured as NET’s Next Virtual Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening
LINCOLN, Neb. (March 11, 2021) – A free online film screening and live discussion at 7 p.m. CT, Thursday, March 25, features “Coded Bias,” a troubling investigation into the algorithms that shape our lives.
The virtual event is part of the Indie Lens Pop-Up series presented by ITVS, “Independent Lens” and NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations.
To register for this free online event, visit netNebraska.org/engage.
Join award-winning filmmaker Shalini Kantayya as she embarks on an investigation that uncovers widespread bias in the algorithms that shape the technology powering our lives.
While conducting research on facial recognition technology at the M.I.T. Media Lab, computer scientist Joy Buolamwini made the startling discovery that the algorithm could not detect dark-skinned faces or women with accuracy.
This troubling realization prompted Buolamwini to start the Algorithmic Justice League, a group of pioneering women who uncover the underlying biases in the technology that threaten our democracy.
After the virtual screening, a panel discussion will feature Kantayya, director of “Coded Bias;” Amanda Martinez, engineering manager at Chromatic and Inclusive Communities LeadDIVERSITY Advocate; Thomas Freeman, general counsel at Midwest Laboratories, adjunct professor at Creighton University and senior policy advisor at the Institute for Digital Humanity and Stefanie Martinez, district court judge, Second Judicial District.
Panelists will discuss the social implications of artificial intelligence to the importance of inclusion in the tech industry. Indie Lens Pop-Up and NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations, aim to spark enlightening conversations that shed light on these issues.
Special thanks to Inclusive Communities, community partner for this virtual screening event. Learn more about their education and advocacy related to diversity, equity and inclusion at inclusive-communities.org.
“Coded Bias” is also available on the PBS Video App and PBS.org Monday, March 22, at 9 p.m. CT and airs on NET at 10 p.m. CT, Sunday, March 28.
The final film in the 2021 virtual season lineup of Indie-Lens Pop-Up includes:
– April, TBA, “Philly D.A.” by Ted Passon and Yoni Brook. A groundbreaking documentary series embedded inside the long shot election and tumultuous first term of Larry Krasner, Philadelphia's unapologetic district attorney, and his experiment to upend the criminal justice system from the inside out.
Visit netNebraska.org/engage for the latest information on upcoming film screening dates and times.
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a free neighborhood series that brings people together for virtual films screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s “Independent Lens,” Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders and organizations to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics and social issues, to family and community relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation online.
# # #
MEDIA CONTACTS: Sandi Karstens, 402-470-6578, skarstens@netNebraska.org
Tanya Leverault, ITVS, 415-356-8383, tanyaleverault@itvs.org
NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations, is the statewide public media service dedicated to creating opportunities for Nebraskans to engage with critical issues, compelling stories and quality entertainment. NET serves each of Nebraska’s 93 counties with 52,560 hours of programming each year on four television and two radio channels, plus online and mobile content. In addition to providing free, high-quality educational programming for children, NET provides programming in the arts, award-winning news and current affairs information and emergency alert services. For more information about NET, visit netNebraska.org.