Letter to NYC Mayor RE: NYC Automated Decision Systems Task Force

Dear Mayor de Blasio:

The undersigned organizations and individuals write to offer recommendations regarding your anticipated appointments to the Automated Decision System Task Force, which is mandated by Local Law 49 of 2018. The task force is required to present the Mayor and ultimately the public with recommendations on identifying automated decision systems in New York City government, developing procedures identifying and remedying harm, developing a process for public review, and assessing the feasibility of archiving automated decision systems and relevant data. We are interested in ensuring the integrity and efficacy of the task force because government use of automated decision systems has broad and varied effects on New Yorkers, and the questions the task force must address are very complicated. We also anticipate that the task force’s prospective findings and recommendations can serve as a national or international model for other cities and states grappling with the opportunities and challenges presented by the use of automated decision systems.