Once upon a time, and not long ago, those practicing in the humanities could ignore the complex computational problems that confront computer and data scientists, physicists, and mathematicians. However, those problems are now of great concern to everyone. Why? Because technology and its computational scaffolding, especially related to the applications of AI, is now replacing human experts in making decisions about myriad aspects of our individual and collective lives.
Academics and decision-makers in criminal justice, education, healthcare, as well as energy and resource management, need a fast-track in understanding issues such as: computational integrity, noise showing up in data sets, and algorithmic fairness, to be sure their constituencies are treated in an equitable manner.
Shining a Light on Algorithmic Fairness
Dr. Cristopher "Cris" Moore, University of Iowa Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor, explains: "I am passionate about demystifying these technologies so that a broad public can make critical decisions about whether, when, and how AI systems should be used, and in turn making sure that my own work is grounded in the actual needs of policymakers and advocates."
Dr. Moore is a resident professor at the Santa Fe Institute, where he is part of the Interdisciplinary Working Group on Algorithmic Justice.
"At its worst, AI is an unaccountable black box: it can be biased, inaccurate, or both. But at its best, AI can shine a light on human decision-making, and create new forms of accountability where biases can be detected and corrected. In order to play this positive role, AI needs to be transparent and auditable, so that we can have a democratic discussion about whether, when, and how to use it.
Cris follows these analogies and connections wherever they lead: from AI policy to quantum computing, from games and puzzles to the stability of financial markets, and from blockchains to the three-body problem."
~ Santa Fe Institute
The Challenges of Relying on AI within the Criminal Justice System
On Tuesday, September 8th, Dr. Moore will offer a public lecture on "Transparency and Fairness in AI for Criminal Justice." The talk will confront questions such as: How do these concepts of procedural justice survive in a world of machine-generated evidence? What kinds of transparency do AI systems need to have to preserve constitutional rights, and to facilitate a democratic discussion of when, how, and if they should be used?
"Using AI to draft an email message or check your grammar is typically not a cause for concern, but using it to make decisions that affect people’s lives is another matter. When constitutional rights are involved, as in the justice system, transparency is paramount," say Dr. Moore and his colleagues in the article Concerning the Responsible Use of AI in the U.S. Criminal Justice System.
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role at every stage of the justice system. Cameras and facial recognition help identify suspects; risk assessments advise judges whether defendants can be safely released while awaiting trial; forensic evidence from DNA analysis software is used in the courtroom; and more risk assessments make recommendations about sentences and parole.
While these systems may be helpful to the police, to judges, and to juries, many of them are proprietary and opaque, and have never been independently tested for accuracy and fairness. Here's where interdisciplinary teams of legal and computational experts must work together to protect fairness and due process.
Scholar, Speaker, Thought Leader
Dr. Moore will be on the University of Iowa campus from September 7th through September 11th, 2026, meeting with interdisciplinary faculty, students, and researchers.
Cristopher Moore received his B.A. in Physics, Mathematics, and Integrated Science from Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell. From 2000 to 2012 he was a professor at the University of New Mexico, with joint appointments in Computer Science and Physics. Since 2012, Moore has been a resident professor at the Santa Fe Institute; he has also held visiting positions at École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique, Université Paris 7, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Northeastern University, the University of Michigan, and Microsoft Research. He has written 160 papers at the boundary between mathematics, physics, and computer science, ranging from quantum computing, social networks, and phase transitions in NP-complete problems and Bayesian inference, to risk assessment in criminal justice.
Professor Moore has been elected a Fellow of multiple scholarly societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the American Physical Society (APS), and the Network Science Society. He is co-author of The Nature of Computation, published by Oxford University Press, a widely cited volume that synthesizes ideas from theoretical computer science, physics, and mathematics.
Multi-Disciplinary Interest at UIowa
"He is a scholar of international distinction whose achievements, teaching excellence, and commitment to public scholarship position him to make a significant intellectual and pedagogical contribution to the University of Iowa. His visit represents a unique opportunity to engage our community with one of the most versatile and impactful thinkers in modern complex systems." ~ UIowa faculty nominating Dr. Cristopher Moore
The unique and timely insight Dr. Moore offers is why DEOs and faculty from multiple departments at the University of Iowa nominated Moore as an ideal Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor.
Nominating faculty included:
Alberto Maria Segre, Professor, Dept. of Computer Science & Dept. of Statistics
Ryan Kinzer, Professor, Dept. of Mathematics
Ali Hassan, Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy
Joseph Cavanaugh, Professor, Biostatistics
Samuel A Burer, Professor, Business Analytics
Michael Sauder, Professor, Sociology and Criminology
Gary Christensen, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
September 2026 Events Featuring Dr. Cristopher Moore
More events will be added as they are scheduled:
- Tuesday, Sept. 8th, 6:00-7:00pm: "Transparency and Fairness in AI for Criminal Justice."
- Friday, Sept. 11th, 3:30pm - 5:00pm: "CS Colloquium - "Easy, Hard, and Impossible: Phase Transitions in Computation"