Privacy and Fairness by Design Applied

Existing Paradigm:

Goal: digital fitness tool to determine the best possible fitness routine to increase health and wellness while reducing weight
Methods: data gathered from their partners, 1000s of members at a luxurious and high-end national gym that specializes in personal trainers and organic food diets.

Shift in Strategy: Possible approaches to improve fairness in digital fitness tool

Building a Team:
A diverse team of designers and engineers that vary in terms of socio-political, geographical, gender, and race might help build a product that is more fair and could be useful to a broader range of customers. Differing perspectives bring a product team into a more empathetic space that re-centers the user. In addition to a diverse team, include experts in data privacy, ethical AI, and behavioral psychology to ensure the product is designed with the user's best interest in mind. This interdisciplinary approach ensures a fair view of fitness and wellness that respects individual differences and societal impacts.

Inclusive Gathering of Data:
Broaden the data collection beyond high-end gym members to include a more diverse and representative sample of the population. This includes partnering with community centers, online fitness communities, and even healthcare providers to gather a wide array of health and fitness data. This approach ensures the algorithm is trained on a dataset that mirrors the diversity of real-world users, adhering to the principles of FAIR OPPORTUNITIES by removing barriers to equal opportunities.

Implement a stringent privacy framework that anonymizes user data, ensuring no personally identifiable information can be traced back to individual users. This not only protects user privacy but also aligns with FAIR TREATMENT by treating all users’ data with respect and confidentiality.

Introduce features that cater to users with different physical abilities, dietary restrictions, and socio-economic backgrounds. For example, workout routines that don't require gym equipment and dietary suggestions that consider budget and accessibility constraints. This is a direct application of FAIR ESSENTIALS, ensuring basic health and wellness needs are met for everyone.

Questions to Further Refine the Product:
1. How does our product address bias inherent in the data, and what measures are in place to continually assess and mitigate these biases?
2. In what ways can we ensure that the benefits of our product are accessible to individuals regardless of their economic status and access to equipment and healthy food?
3. How can we use feedback from our diverse user base to improve the fairness and effectiveness of our product?

These questions might reveal moments of inaccessibility in our digital product. With a well-developed team, we could further iterate on our design and seek continuous improvement.