August 7, 2020
Members of The CAS Institute (iCAS) shared their expertise with the mathematical community at the recent 2020 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM). One of the largest statistical meetings in the world, the virtual event, which took place August 2-6, 2020, explored topics ranging from statistical applications to methodology and theory.
The CAS Institute organized a session around Cathy O’Neil’s book, “Weapons of Math Destruction.” The book, chapters of which are included in the curriculum of iCAS’ Certified Specialist in Predictive Analytics (CSPA) credential, highlights the social impacts and the downside on society of some widely used predictive models. CAS Fellows and CSPA holders Louise Francis and Christopher Monsour joined iCAS founder Bob Miccolis, FCAS, and Nina Ahmad, Ph.D., to discuss the book from the vantage point of their own analytics experience and research. iCAS Director Amy Brener moderated the session.
Miccolis and Francis are consultant actuaries. Miccolis’ presentation focused on big data and professional standards, while Francis discussed the banking crisis of 2008. Monsour, a director of data science at DataRobot, explained how to “Do A.I.” without turning it into a weapon. Ahmad, a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s current Democratic candidate for auditor general, talked about big data and public policy with a focus on mass incarceration.
For additional information on the meeting, visit the JSM 2020 website.
