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Marissa Kumar Gerchick

@mkgerchick.bsky.social
1.4K followers 220 following 41 posts

She/her. Data Science Manager and Algorithmic Justice Specialist at ACLU. Writing a book about AI & women's sports. Personal account. keepthescore.substack.com

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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Read the piece to learn more, and subscribe to keepthescore.substack.com for more like this!
keepthescore.substack.com
keeping the score: women's sports in the age of ai | Marissa Gerchick | Substack
a substack about women's sports and AI. Click to read keeping the score: women's sports in the age of ai, by Marissa Gerchick, a Substack publication. Launched 7 months ago.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
3) Proponents of the increasing influence of AI on our lives often that AI has the potential to be a great equalizer. To evaluate that claim, I would argue we should be examining the impact of technology on areas of our society where things have long been unequal. Women’s sports is one such area.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
2) Though the core product may be AI-proof, we are seeing many uses of AI around professional sports. People have strong feelings and engage deeply in questions of rules & policy when it comes to sports. So we have a unique opportunity to study attitudes towards AI regulation through sports.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Then I talk about three reasons why I think this intersection merits your attention: 1) The core product of sports is arguably automation-proof. You don’t tune into a basketball game or a tennis match because you want to watch robotics athletes make predictable, emotionless plays.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
First, I talk about the many ways that AI is already affecting women's sports, from AI-enabled search engines shaping how we decide what to watch, to wearable devices tracking athletes' performance and health, to uses of AI for officiating, and facial recognition in stadiums.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Wrote a new piece about the relationship between AI and women's sports, and why I think this intersection merits our attention and energy: keepthescore.substack.com/p/the-relati...
keepthescore.substack.com
The Relationship Between AI and Women’s Sports
And Why I’m Writing a Book About It
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Jake Snow @snowjake.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
COME WORK at the ACLU! @aclu-norcal.bsky.social is hiring attorneys to work on tech and civil rights (my team) and the criminal legal/immigration system. These folks will work at the cutting edge of legal and policy efforts in California and beyond. Apply here: www.aclunorcal.org/jobs/staff-a...
aclunorcal.org
Staff Attorney / Senior Staff Attorney - ACLU of Northern California
Develop and carry out litigation and policy advocacy to advance to protect and defend civil rights and civil liberties for all Californians.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
You can read more about this role and several other open roles on our Technology Team here: www.aclu.org/careers/ Please share widely!
aclu.org
Careers at ACLU
Join our team! We’re looking for committed, passionate people for open roles at the ACLU.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
This is a full-time, hybrid-role based in either NYC, San Francisco, or Washington, DC, with an annual salary of $142k (if based in NYC - see the posting for more details on regional pay adjustments).
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
The Tech Team at ACLU is hiring! We are looking for a Data Scientist with expertise in NLP and AI ethics to work on using language tech to support ACLU's mission. Come help us tackle questions about how AI systems can be carefully applied to support the public interest. www.aclu.org/careers/appl...
aclu.org
Careers at ACLU
Join our team! We’re looking for committed, passionate people for open roles at the ACLU.
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Suresh Venkatasubramanian @geomblog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
It's been a journey of nearly 3 years, but I'm very excited to announce the CNTR AISLE Portal! 🚀 cntr-aisle.org It’s a new way to review and evaluate the 1,000+ AI bills introduced in the U.S. over the last three years. Check out the Bill Library and our Profiles#AIPolicy #OpenData
cntr-aisle.org
CNTR AISLE
CNTR AISLE Portal
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Many thanks to Michelle Lipinski and Mona Sloane for their guidance and wisdom throughout the process! You can learn more about the series below. (As a disclaimer, I’m authoring this work in my personal capacity, not affiliated with my work at the ACLU). www.ucpress.edu/series/co-op...
ucpress.edu
Co-Opting AI
Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
I’ve decided to share some of these reflections now, in the hopes that they may resonate with others, on a substack where I'll reflect on the process of writing about AI right now and stories on how AI and women's sports are intersecting. The first piece is up now and I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
At several points in the process, I considered abandoning the project as I grappled with bouts of “AI-induced imposter syndrome,” wrestling with the tradeoffs of spending time and energy writing a book at a time when the world’s relationship to writing feels like it is rapidly changing.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
What started as a determined fan trying to make sense of an outcome I didn't like became a much deeper exploration of how AI is shaping the ways women's sports are played, watched, and refereed. And now, I’m excited to share that exploration has turned into a book project.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
As a researcher who studies the societal impacts of AI, and a huge USWNT fan, I channeled my heartbreak into a familiar method: a deep dive into the underlying technology, how it was designed, deployed, and evaluated.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
The margin, arguably unseeable to the human eye, was nonetheless legible to the automated goal line-technology used to make the deciding call.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
One morning in August 2023, I woke up at 4 AM to watch the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team face Sweden in the Women's World Cup. The deciding penalty that eliminated the U.S., a strike initially swatted down by the goalkeeper, was ruled to have crossed the goal line by a matter of millimeters.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Personal update: I’m writing a book about how AI is impacting women’s sports, as part of the Co-Opting AI Series with the University of California Press! More context here and below:🧵 keepthescore.substack.com/p/on-grappli...
keepthescore.substack.com
On Grappling with AI-Induced Imposter Syndrome
In the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team faced their earliest exit from the tournament in the team’s history.
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong: www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
404media.co
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
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Reposted by Marissa Kumar Gerchick
ACLU @aclu.org · 10/01/2026
We released a new report in partnership with the Center for Tech Responsibility at Brown University on how policymakers and researchers can better analyze AI legislation to protect our civil rights and liberties.
techpolicy.press
Making Sense of AI Policy Using Computational Tools | TechPolicy.Press
A new report examines how to use computational tools to evaluate policy, with AI policy as a case study.
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logan koepke @jlkoepke.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
a recent New York State audit of NYC's Local Law 144 — designed to ostensibly regulate potential bias and discrimination in automated employment tools — is fairly scathing in its assessment of how implementation and enforcement of the law is going. simply put, LL 144 does not work.
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onekade @onekade.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
You can take action right now, if you live in Massachusetts. Doing this takes less than one minute and will make a significant impact. Do it now. action.aclu.org/send-message...
action.aclu.org
TELL MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS: SUPPORT THE LOCATION SHIELD ACT IN 2025
Please take action!
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ProPublica Guild @propublicaguild.org · 17/12/2025
1/ At bargaining yesterday, @propublica.org management said that they should have 100% discretion to replace workers with AI and would not commit to labeling future AI-generated content.
Headline: ProPublica management wants 100% discretion over when and how to use AI
Supplementary text: The organization rejected our proposal that ensures staff will not be replaced by AI and requires labeling AI-generated content
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Margaret Mitchell @mmitchell.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Was really challenging to participate in this, but I think I was able to pen something real, important, and personal to my experience in AI. Remember that GenAI is not *all* of AI nor all of what it should be. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/15/1...
technologyreview.com
Generative AI hype distracts us from AI’s more important breakthroughs
It's a seductive distraction from the advances in AI that are most likely to improve or even save your life
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
A few more I came across today that look interesting! Chief AI Officer at the State of IL: illinois.jobs2web.com/job/Springfi... Senior PM at the MBTA: www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mbta... The Center for Civic Futures has several roles open: digitalharborfoundation.applytojob.com/apply/
illinois.jobs2web.com
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (SPSA Opt. 3)
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (SPSA Opt. 3)
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
And we have lots of open roles at ACLU, including roles on our Technology Team: www.aclu.org/careers/
aclu.org
Careers at ACLU
Join our team! We’re looking for committed, passionate people for open roles at the ACLU.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Lots of new roles just went up at Code for America! codeforamerica.org/jobs/
codeforamerica.org
Careers — Code for America
Our team is made up of empathetic people working side by side with communities and government to solve society's toughest problems
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Deb Raji @rajiinio.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Started a thread in the other place and bringing it over here - I really think we should be more vocal about the opportunities that lay at the intersection of these two options! So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
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ACLU @aclu.org · 01/10/2025
A reminder that anything recorded on a device like this AI "friend" could be used against you — by hackers, private companies, or the government. This technology isn't a friend, it's surveillance.
techcrunch.com
AI startup Friend spent more than $1M on all those subway ads | TechCrunch
If you’ve been on the New York subway recently, you’ve probably seen stark white ads promoting a wearable AI device called Friend.
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WIRED @wired.com · 20/08/2025
Customs and Border Protection agents searched nearly 15,000 devices from April through June of this year, a nearly 17 percent spike over the previous three-month high in 2022. "The real issue is the chilling effect it has on all travelers."
wrd.cm
Phone Searches at the US Border Hit a Record High
Customs and Border Protection agents searched nearly 15,000 devices from April through June of this year, a nearly 17 percent spike over the previous three-month high in 2022. "The real issue is the chilling...
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Reposted by Marissa Kumar Gerchick
ACLU @aclu.org · 29/07/2025
After @riaclu.bsky.social sued, a judge blocked the Trump administration from imposing ideological restrictions on federal grant recipients who serve domestic violence survivors, LGBTQ youth, and unhoused people. These organizations can continue their critical work without political interference.
advocate.com
Court blocks Trump admin's anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions on grants for domestic violence and homeless shelters
The order comes in a lawsuit brought by a nationwide coalition of groups serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, LGBTQ+ youth, and people experiencing homelessness.
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Reposted by Marissa Kumar Gerchick
ACLU @aclu.org · 03/07/2025
The use of AI shouldn’t come at the expense of our civil liberties. At the ACLU’s first-ever Civil Rights in the Digital Age AI Summit, we’re considering ways to leverage emerging technology as an asset, while safeguarding our civil rights.
aclu.org
As AI Gains Power, We Must Push for Guardrails to Protect Civil Liberties | ACLU
As AI increasingly makes decisions in hiring, policing, and social services, the ACLU’s Civil Rights in the Digital Age Summit focuses on promoting responsible AI design to ensure technology protects ...
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prakharg.bsky.social @prakharg.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Gerchick et al: Auditing the Audits: Lessons for Algorithmic Accountability from Local Law 144's Bias Audits #FAccT2025
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Lauren Chambers @laurenmarietta.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
getting excited for my #FAccT2025 tutorial - today 5 pm Athens time! I'm sharing new work with @berkeleyischool.bsky.social's awesome Prof. Diag Davenport: "Public Interest Tech (PIT) Clinics as Applied Sociotechnical Pedagogy." the idea: bring real-world experience & impact into tech education 💫
title slide for tutorial presentation reading "public interest tech (pit) clinics as applied sociotechnical pedagogy: practice tutorial, FAccT 2025, Athens, Greece; by Lauren M. Chambers and Diag Davenport, UC Berkeley, June 25, 2025."
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
❤️❤️❤️
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ACLU @aclu.org · 21/06/2025
We’re here at the airport as Mahmoud Khalil returns home after over 100 days of being unjustly detained for his advocacy for Palestinian rights. Welcome home, Mahmoud! ❤️
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
And also excited to share our tutorial — on ACLU’s approach to evaluating generative AI’s implications for our work — with @techforimpact.bsky.social @bmad.bsky.social Ranya Ahmed and Evani Radiya-Dixit, also on Wednesday, at 5 PM Athens time programs.sigchi.org/facct/2025/p...
programs.sigchi.org
Conference Programs
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
This work was the product of an amazing collaboration across civil society and academia — with a stellar team including @rone.bsky.social and @metaxa.net (Penn HCI), Cole Tanigawa-Lau (Stanford), Lena Armstrong (Harvard) and Ana Gutiérrez (my colleague at ACLU!)
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Excited to be at #FAccT2025 and honored to see our work “auditing the audits” resulting from one of the first enacted AI laws in the U.S. received an honorable mention! I’ll be presenting this work on Wednesday at 11 AM Athens time: programs.sigchi.org/facct/2025/p...
programs.sigchi.org
Conference Programs
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Oliver Haimson @haimson.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Some results from this paper: trans people, nonbinary people, and disabled people (especially neurodivergent people and people with mental health conditions) have more negative views towards AI than the general US population. #FAccT2025
Bar graph showing average AI attitudes for participants in different identity categories. The plot shows that
women (including both cisgender and trans women) have
lower AI attitudes than men (including both cisgender and
trans men); trans and nonbinary participants have significantly lower AI attitudes than cisgender participants; people
of color, and Black participants in particular, have significantly higher AI attitudes than white participants; and disabled participants, specifically those who are neurodivergent
or have mental health conditions, have significantly lower
AI attitudes than participants without those disabilities. We
used Bonferroni correction because we conducted multiple ttests, and we indicate statistical significance based on the following p-value thresholds: * p<0.005; ** p<0.001; *** p<0.0001
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ACLU @aclu.org · 16/06/2025
BREAKING: A federal judge reversed National Institutes of Health's terminations of hundreds of critical research grants that were canceled because of their alleged connection to disfavored topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender identity. This is a major win for public health.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 16/06/2025
The National Institutes of Health's efforts to shut down research that doesn't align with the Trump administration’s political agenda is a direct attack on public health.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 11/03/2025
The unlawful detention of Mahmoud Khalil is one of the most extreme threats to free speech in 50 years. Trump is sending a message that people who speak out will be punished — but we have a message for him, too. We'll see you in court.
nytimes.com
Opinion | This Is the Greatest Threat to Free Speech Since the Red Scare
Mahmoud Khalil’s detention is a frightening sign of an authoritarian slide.
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Reposted by Marissa Kumar Gerchick
ACLU @aclu.org · 11/03/2025
BREAKING: We and @nyclu.org are joining Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil's legal team after ICE unlawfully arrested and detained him in retaliation for his political views. We will see the Trump administration in court.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
The role is paid, open to graduate and undergraduate students, and available for remote or hybrid work from our NYC or DC office. The priority application deadline is February 25 — please share widely!
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
This is a unique opportunity to conduct applied research (our team regularly publishes at conferences like ACM FAccT, for instance) that will shape our approach to leveraging emerging technologies in line with our values.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Projects will be tailored to the intern’s skillset and interests, and could range from adapting cutting edge research on bias testing of large language models (LLMs) to develop a model-agnostic testing and evaluation toolkit, to conducting a landscape analysis of open weight model offerings.
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
For this position, we welcome applicants with backgrounds in technical fields (e.g., engineering, ML, AI, NLP, statistics) and applicants with backgrounds in sociotechnical fields (e.g., history of science, history of technology, HCI, information science, science and technology studies, sociology).
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Marissa Kumar Gerchick @mkgerchick.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
ACLU Technology is hiring an AI Research Intern for Summer 2025! Come help us conduct applied research to evaluate the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI tools against ACLU transparency, privacy, security, and algorithmic accountability values. 🧵 www.aclu.org/careers/inte...
aclu.org
Careers at ACLU
Join our team! We’re looking for committed, passionate people for open roles at the ACLU.
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