ARTICLES

Expanding Our Reach: A Recap of KDD 2023

Four people stand around a large vertical banner inside a brightly lit and somewhat busy room. On the far left is Leslie Joe, a long-haired short brunette woman wearing a Data Science Alliance (DSA) white shirt that reads “DATA SCIENCE ALLIANCE” in thin blue text. To the right is Czarina Argana, a woman with medium-length dark-brown and pink hair, wearing a navy-blue DSA shirt with white text. Both of them sport lime-green lanyards with purple badges. To the right of them and in the center of the photo is a banner that reads “SDxAI” in large dark-purple and white font, the background a shifting gradient of purples, and the bottom of the banner hosting a short list of brand names and logos. Those brands are the following: Qualcomm, UN San Diego, Keshif Ventures, EyePop.ai, gravityAI, and Launch Factory. To the right of the banner stands Kai Ni, a taller brunette man wearing a black DSA shirt with orange text and falling leaves on it. To the right is Daphne Fabella, a short-haired brunette woman wearing another navy-blue DSA shirt with white text. These two wear purple lanyards and purple badges. They all stand in a room with tall ceilings and many windows, the walls made of white plaster, tile, and wood, and gray concrete pillars.

The DSA team ready to welcome attendees

Written by
Kallyn Hobmann
Published on
August 16, 2023

DSA’s efforts to promote Responsible Data Science (RDS) practices are fueled by passionate data scientists and enthusiasts, so what better way to expand our reach than by attending the Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) Conference in Long Beach?

‍

Expanding Our Reach: A Recap of KDD 2023
By Kallyn Hobmann

‍

The 29th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining took place August 6-10, seeing over 2,000 attendees worldwide.

‍

Our team traveled north to the premier international forum for data mining researchers and practitioners from academia, industry, and government. With attendees from San Francisco, New York, the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, and everywhere in between, KDD was the perfect opportunity for us to connect with others and spread the word about DSA’s mission.

‍

Each day began with an inspiring keynote speaker. We heard from data science luminaries Ed Chi, a Distinguished Scientist at Google, and Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer from Microsoft.

‍

Ed shared his insights on various topics, such as the timeline of technological advancements, how to improve Large Language Models (LLMs) to better serve humans and future challenges for LLMs. He also discussed Google’s AI principles, touching on the social benefits of AI and what it means to be built and tested for safety. Meanwhile, Eric spoke about how humans and AI can work together in beneficial ways, like diagnosing cancer and other diseases. With our mission to create a world where data helps without harm, DSA felt right at home with these conversations.

‍

We were one of seven exhibitors alongside sponsors like Amazon Science, Apple, Deloitte, and ByteDance. Our booth showcased the RDS Framework, Pledge, and Video Game—all of which led to memorable discussions about the importance of responsibility in the data science field and beyond.

‍

‍KDD attendees stop by DSA’s booth to learn more about our nonprofit

‍

At our booth, attendees had the chance to try out the alpha version of our video game, and some provided invaluable feedback on how it can be used to educate data scientists and other professionals about RDS. We also had insightful conversations about new ways our Framework can evolve, and we gained a lot of support for our Responsible Data Science Pledge. We received multiple applications for our Working Group and internships, connecting us with many new colleagues worldwide .

‍

During the conference, DSA also launched ticket sales for our "Data Science in Sports" Fundraiser on November 9. This crossover of subjects sparked discussions with KDD attendees about how data science is used in many industries and how it’s essential to make it accessible to a broader audience. Excitement about the many ways data science can be applied continued to grow, and enthusiasm for DSA’s upcoming events spread as well.

‍

It’s no wonder KDD came to stand at the epicenter of advancements in data science with its diverse assembly of researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders. Exhibiting at KDD was an incredible opportunity and a responsibility for DSA to inform and equip the community with the tools for fostering a responsible data science ecosystem. It gave us a dynamic platform to showcase our commitment, initiatives, and results in ensuring ethics, transparency, and inclusivity in data science. By engaging with the global community at KDD, DSA generated impactful conversations, forged essential collaborations, and influenced the trajectory of data science toward an innovative, responsible, and equitable future for us all.