Hello. My name is John Howard. I am a scientist and 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 25 technical papers and patents. These works are cited regularly in media outlets designed to reach the broader public, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. They also are frequently referenced in congressional testimony, White House OSTP policy guidelines, NIST AI frameworks, USCCR reports, and and studies from the National Academies of Sciences.
I am currently the Founder and CEO of Sensus AI, a leading, independent AI test, evaluation, and audit firm built for the private sector. The goal of Sensus AI is to be the trust layer for the AI economy – providing objective expertise and rigorous testing so organizations can deploy AI systems with confidence in real-world production environments. Contact me if you want to know more.
Formerly, I was the Chief Data Scientist at the Maryland Test Facility, a leading AI testing lab for the U.S. Government. I also currently serve as the lead editor for ISO/IEC 19795-10 and ISO/IEC 19795-6, international standards that define how fairness and operational performance in biometric systems are measured. In addition, I 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. Finally, as my time allows, I also consult on 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.