AI technological developments pose intricate and complex ethical questions that the industry alone cannot answer. We strongly believe that research questions in the application of AI should be addressed by independent academic research institutions along with the companies building and deploying the technology. We also believe in supporting regionally diverse AI ethics research. To support these beliefs, Facebook announced the Ethics in AI research awards in June with a regional focus of India.

This RFP aims to support thoughtful and groundbreaking academic research in AI ethics that takes into account different regional perspectives, particularly from India where AI research has recently become more prominent. We also hope the RFP leads to stronger, meaningful connections with the academic community.

The RFP was open to academic institutions, think tanks, and research organizations registered and operational in India. Applicants were asked to submit proposals that took into consideration the following themes:

• Operationalizing ethics/explainability/fairness
• Governance
• Cultural diversity

After an internal review, the shortlisted candidates were sent to an external review board consisting of Professor Sudeshna Sarkar (IIT Kharagpur), Sunil Abraham (CIS), and Bharath Visweswariah (Omidyar Network). This review board selected the top two submissions in each category; these are listed below, under each of their topics.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal, and congratulations to the winners.

Research award winners

Operationalizing ethics/explainability/fairness

Patient-Centric Frameworks for the Evaluation of AI-Enabled Medical Tests
PI: Amit Sethi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay)
Collaborators: Swapnil Rane and Zakia Khan, Tata Memorial Centre

Targeted Bias in Indian Media Outlets
PI: Animesh Mukherjee, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur)
Collaborators: Pawan Goyal and Souvic Chakraborty, IIT Kharagpur

Governance

Ethical Implications of Delegating Decision-making Journey to AI Systems
PI: Dr. Rahul De’, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore)
Collaborator: Sai Dattathrani, IIM Bangalore

A ‘Public Law of Information’ for India
PI: Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Centre for Law and Policy Research

Cultural Diversity

Mitigating Bias in Face Recognition for Vast Regional Diversity in India
PI: Richa Singh, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIT-Delhi)
Collaborator: Mayank Vatsa, IIIT-Delhi

Regulatory Impact Assessment of the National AI Market Place of India
PI: Varadharajan Sridhar, International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIT Bangalore)
Collaborator: Shrisha Rao, IIIT Bangalore