Summary
The TOPML Project (https://en.topml.uni-mainz.de/) is a 6-year research project funded by Carl Zeiss Foundation at the Institute of Computer Science of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). TOPML stands for Trading Off non-functional Properties of Machine Learning: broadly, the project deals with the interactions and dependencies of different desirable properties of Machine Learning. The research topics which investigated include transparency and fairness of data and algorithms, as well as data protection requirements and efficient use of resources such as electricity. A strong focus is given to their competing needs. As an example, how decentralized can data be stored and processed to protect privacy? To what extent does decentralization affect the transparency of algorithms and data? What impact does this have on energy consumption? These various trade-offs will be identified and characterized to create workable trade-offs. Ethical and legal aspects are also considered.
The project is a cooperation between the Institute of Computer Science and various Institutes of both JGU and Hochschule Mainz.
Why Join TOPML
– TOPML researchers have published in top-ranked conferences and journals, even at an early stage in their career.
– You would join an interdisciplinary network of experienced and early-stage researchers with a clear focus on themes of responsible development of AI methods and applications.
– TOPML has a dedicated budget to outreach and networking, and can support your endeavors in further establishing your network.
The Project
The primary goal of this project is to develop a robot scientist that integrates machine learning techniques with established social science constructs to investigate the structure of human behavioral heterogeneity. It aims to assess data complementarity of digital footprints, experimental and survey data, build the first robot scientist for behavioral measurement, and study the trade-offs involved with respect to transparency, resource efficiency, and privacy.
