Hello. My name is John Howard. I am a computer scientist and biometrics researcher. Throughout my career, I’ve lead cross-cutting research teams on topics such as “bias” in biometric recognition systems, the test and evaluation of artificial intelligence more broadly, and how humans and algorithms accomplish socio-technical tasks. I am a published author of over 20 technical papers and am currently the lead editor for ISO/IEC 19795-10, a (draft) international standard on measuring fairness in biometric systems. These works are cited regularly in print media outlets, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as in congressional testimony.
I currently serve as a Principal Scientist at the Maryland Test Facility, a government funded research lab focused on AI application testing. I also hold an appointment as a research fellow at SMU’s AT&T Center, where I advise students and faculty on projects related to AI fairness and computer science ethics. I’ve also consulted on numerous projects as a technical expert, most recently in court litigation regarding biometrics and privacy, such as cases involving the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act or BIPA.
I try to update my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles regularly with news and thoughts about these activities and topics. If you find these interesting please follow along. You can also find a list of upcoming events I will be attending or speaking at here.