Researcher Kevin McKee shares how his love of science fiction and social psychology inspired his career and how he’s helping to advance queer fairness research, support human-AI collaboration, and study the implications of AI for LGBTQ+ community.
How did you first become interested in artificial intelligence?
The signs were clear from the start. I’ve always loved science fiction. I couldn’t tell you how many times I read and re-read this by Isaac Asimov I robot as a kid. These short stories explore the psychology of Asimov’s fictional robots, often using them as a mirror to reveal insights into the human mind. I was totally excited.
Not surprisingly, I became interested in psychological science. In elementary school, I often tried to do controlled psychology experiments for my science projects. Looking back, I’m not sure how successful I was with these experiments, but they led me to my studies in psychology and neuroscience – and eventually DeepMind.
What is the best thing about your job?
Everyone at DeepMind works on an insanely diverse set of projects. Much of our work is bottom-up driven, so DeepMinders are often invited to collaborate on exciting projects from across the organization.
My current projects span traditional machine learning methods and social science approaches. research on collaborative artificial intelligence and the societal implications of AI development; and collaborations with engineers, mathematicians and ethicists.
Do you join any groups at DeepMind?
Co-lead of QueerMinds, our employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees and allies. When I joined DeepMind in 2017, we didn’t have an official community or space for identities like mine. Over time, I realized that as a queer myself, I could help create that visibility and foster that community for others at DeepMind.
QueerMinds feels alive these days, with regular socials, talks by external researchers and writers, and group outings, including a recent one on the new queer Queer Britain, the new queer museum next to our King’s Cross office. Ever since I stepped into the role, I haven’t regretted it for a moment. It has been a tremendous joy – and a constant learning experience – to create a space for queer people in the DeepMind community.
What are your thoughts on working from home vs. the office?
I prefer to work from the office. It’s really energizing to see my teammates and random DeepMinders every day. These are known as “weak ties” in social psychology and sociology, and they certainly bring a lot of happiness to my day.
In research, I find that many breakthroughs come from spontaneous conversations and unplanned moments – you never know where the next idea or collaboration will come from. Often just chatting through the current challenge with a teammate over coffee is enough to catalyze a moment of light.
What kind of positive impact do you hope DeepMind has on the world?
When we talk about our goals as an organization, we often frame the conversation around the motivation of “advancing science and benefiting humanity.” It’s amazing to be on a team dedicated to these goals. By working towards these, I think we have a real opportunity to include groups that have historically been excluded from scientific work. If we bring marginalized communities into the agenda-setting process for our work, what kinds of research questions and priorities will we set?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning can make a difference, even in small ways. My sister is a speech pathologist who works with transgender teenagers to help them develop their voice and communicate in a way that affirms their gender identity. Recent advances in AI research show promise for supporting her and others working with queer communities. For example, genetic models could help transgender patients form realistic, healthy goals for their vocal exercises in therapy sessions.
What projects are you most proud of in your work?
It is a link between two projects. First, a paper I worked on about ‘queer justice,” where we advocated for more research to understand the impact of AI on LGBTQ+ communities. The development of artificial intelligence creates both new opportunities and serious risks for queer people. However, most work aimed at measuring and correcting algorithmic bias – what AI scientists call “algorithmic fairness” research – tends to overlook LGBTQ+ communities. My colleagues and I looked at potential points of promise and concern in areas such as privacy, censorship, and mental health.
Second, it’s an ongoing project on collaborative artificial intelligence, which we talk about in the podcast episode Better together. Humans are actually quite good at cooperating with each other, even when there is an incentive or incentive to act selfishly.
In social psychology, a popular model of human altruism holds that people pay attention not only to our own goals and outcomes, but also to the goals and outcomes of those around us—especially those with whom we have close relationships, such as friends and family. If I’m taking lunch for a friend and myself, I’ll probably skip the sandwich I like but he hates. Instead, I’ll probably find one that we both like, because I care about his happiness and rewards. This kind of “reward sharing” is key to human altruism, and possibly to our close relationships.
Drawing inspiration from it reward modeldeveloped by me and my colleagues collaborative AI agents that humans can interact with. They are really fun to play with. As a cherry on top, one of the toys we used to study human-AI collaboration it’s actually my friends’ and my favorite to play outside of work: Overcooked!
What might people not know about you?
I am an avid surfer. I grew up in California so I was a bit worried about the prospects of surfing when I moved to London. It turns out it’s a quick hop to Portugal and Spain, where there are some awesome waves. Some of my friends even swear that the surfing in Cornwall is first class! We try to take a trip every few months, for a long weekend or a whole week at the beach.
Any advice for your former self?
Don’t be afraid to take big leaps! Before I joined DeepMind, my entire life – my career, family and friends – was based in the US. Moving to the UK felt a bit daunting. After five years, I can confidently say that jumping to London was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
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