Fernando Diaz joins MSR Montreal as head of new Montreal FATE Research Group

The FATE Research Group was created in response to advances in AI and associated ethical and social questions. The group studies the social implications of AI, machine learning, data science, large-scale experimentation and increasing automation, with a goal of developing computational techniques that are innovative and ethical.

Diaz, whose research area is the design of information access systems, including search engines and crisis response platforms, says he is interested in understanding and addressing the societal implications of artificial intelligence (AI).

Prior to joining MSR, he was the director of research at Spotify Research. He was previously a senior researcher with Microsoft Research NYC where he founded the FATE Research Group alongside Kate Crawford and Hanna Wallach.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Fernando back to Microsoft Research. Fernando is an immensely talented leader in information retrieval, machine learning and the new field of FATE,” said Jennifer Chayes, technical fellow and managing director of Microsoft Research New England, NYC and Montreal labs. “I’m also excited and proud to announce the creation of the Montreal FATE research group. This group will work on how to increase the fairness of data sets and AI algorithms, transparency and interpretability of the output of AI algorithms, accountability of this output in fairness and transparency, and ethical questions on AI and society.”