MELISSASANTOYO

Melissa Santoyo, PhD
Algorithmic Justice Architect | Cross-Cultural Bias Diagnostics Pioneer | Ethical AI Global Strategist

Professional Profile

As a cultural anthropologist turned computational ethicist, I engineer next-generation assessment frameworks that expose how algorithmic discrimination mutates across societal contexts—transforming vague concerns about "AI bias" into actionable, culturally-grounded audit standards. My work decolonizes AI ethics by moving beyond Western-centric fairness paradigms.

Core Research Vectors (March 29, 2025 | Saturday | 15:22 | Year of the Wood Snake | 1st Day, 3rd Lunar Month)

1. Cultural Context Mapping

• Developed "BiasAtlas" system tracking:

  • 32 cultural dimensions of fairness (e.g., collectivist vs individualist notions of equity)

  • Geo-specific harm patterns in 14 AI application domains

  • Intersectional risk hotlines detecting compound discrimination

2. Dynamic Assessment Protocols

• Created "Fairness Compass" toolkit featuring:

  • Context-aware metric selection (rejecting one-size-fits-all fairness criteria)

  • Culturally-weighted error cost matrices

  • Participatory audit designs incorporating local knowledge

3. Global Governance Scaffolds

• Pioneered "Algorithmic UNCLOS" framework:

  • Sovereignty-preserving AI audit standards

  • Cross-border accountability mechanisms

  • Indigenous data governance integration

4. Future-Focused Redress

• Built "Equilibrium Labs" simulating:

  • Long-term discrimination cascades in education/employment AI

  • Reparative algorithm design principles

  • Anticolonial AI development pathways

Technical Milestones

• First demonstrated how facial analysis systems fail differently across 11 Asian ethnic groups

• Quantified how credit scoring algorithms amplify Global North/South wealth gaps

• Co-designed UNESCO's Algorithmic Impact Assessment guidelines

Vision: To make every AI system confess its cultural blind spots—where fairness isn't measured by abstract mathematics but by lived experiences across human diversity.

Strategic Differentiation

• For Tech Firms: "Reduced regulatory friction by 67% through localized compliance"

• For Governments: "Mapped 214 culturally-unique discrimination vectors in public sector AI"

• Provocation: "An algorithm 'fair' in Stockholm may be toxic in Jakarta"