Seeing What’s Missing: Bringing Responsible AI Research Gaps into Focus Through A Landscape Analysis | Anna Neumann

For the past few years, I’ve been reviewing responsible AI research across major conferences like FAccT, AIES, and CHI. In this talk, I’ll share what I’ve found – where researchers are focusing their efforts and, more interestingly, what we might be collectively missing. Using a simple framework ‘interactions, implications, and interventions,’ I’ll map out the landscape and highlight some surprising gaps.

One area that stands out is how little we examine accountability issues in AI supply chains, where different stakeholders affect how systems ultimately behave. I’ll walk through a case study showing how AI outputs can change throughout opaque deployment pipelines, raising questions about who holds power in these relationships. This isn’t meant to be the final word – rather, it’s an invitation to conversation. I’m excited to hear your perspectives and discuss how we might approach these gaps together!

About Anna Neumann: I am a PhD researcher at the Compliant and Accountable Systems Group at RC TRUST, where I examine how AI systems influence societal power structures with a focus on responsible development. I studied Information and Communication Technology at Ruhr-University Bochum (and took some philosophy and tech ethics classes!) and now combine technical expertise with social science perspectives in my research.

My research focuses on identifying governance implications in AI supply chains through technical audits. I am particularly interested in how different stakeholders influence AI system behaviors and societal impacts, and how we can better measure, audit, and address power imbalances that emerge throughout the complex AI ecosystem. Outside of academia, I enjoy reading science fiction, thrifting, and finding the perfect matcha wherever I travel.

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