Ep.05 - Through Our Lens: “Unraveling Algorithms: De-Biasing AI”

In this fifth episode, students conduct experiments to examine how AI reflects social inequality and cultural patterns through self-portraits, professions, and storytelling. They compare responses across three languages and contexts—Portuguese, English, and Mandarin—revealing how language encodes cultural norms and stereotypes. The discussion highlights how cross-cultural collaboration can expose hidden biases and spark new strategies for building fairer, more ethical AI systems.

Through Our Lens: A Cross-Cultural Look on AI Bias is a collaborative podcast produced by students from Florida International University (United States), São Paulo State University – UNESP (Brasil), and Wuhan College of Communication (China). Developed during an international virtual exchange, this six-episode series connects voices from three continents to explore how linguistic and cultural biases appear in AI systems and what they reveal about human society. Each episode reflects collective learning, creativity, and dialogue across borders—inviting listeners to reimagine technology through the lenses of equity, empathy, and diversity.

Credits:

Professors: Luciani Tenani (UNESP), Ming Fang (FIU), Dr. Fang Wen
Technical Support: Rômulo Borim (Laboratory of Phonetics – UNESP)
Collaborators: Yi Yang, Yifang Fu, Ziyan Wu (WCC)

Authors
Unesp (BR): André Luiz Deverlan, Maria Letícia Castanheira, Nicolas Auko Veiga
WCC (CN): Chen, Zimo; Gan, Boyan; Hu, Kexin; Liu, Qi; Zhou, Yuyan
FIU (US): Alyssa T, Dominic Campos, Fernanda Castaneda, Natasha Garces

Produced by:
Laboratory of Phonetics - Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies
Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences - Ibilce
Unesp - São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto campus - SP - Brasil