For Anshuman Chowdhury it’s not all about the glory. He’s committed to developing a different kind of artificial intelligence (AI) that puts understanding and empathy first. Chowdhury’s more than two decades of experience include creating the corporate infrastructure. Now, he is turning his attention toward developing a more equitable credit scoring model targeted directly at more marginalized populations. His work is devoted to keeping AI systems from screwing up. He’s hoping to make them able to predict people, including the people they were never intended to serve in the first place.
Entrepreneurship is a fierce storm of survival and Chowdhury has effectively mentored over 50 startup founders, helping them navigate the treacherous waters of starting their own company. His easygoing disposition and reflective style of work have made him a trusted resource for his colleagues and students. Chowdhury’s continuing on in his quest to get more equity on the ground. He’s already filed a patent for his dignity-first credit scoring model, which he hopes will flip how financial institutions judge people on their head.
The Dignity-First Approach
Chowdhury elevates dignity above all in his work. This data-driven approach is a stark contrast to legacy credit scoring models which rely on static bureau data from five years ago. This new predictive model takes into account much more than just past credit habits. That’s because it’s smart, but more importantly, deeply rooted in the reality of people’s lives today. It does so by looking at people’s lives right now—how they’re currently earning, spending, and juggling their limited resources.
“You cannot keep measuring people by the systems that failed them,” Chowdhury asserts. This philosophy lies at the heart of how to serve what he refers to as the “invisible majority.” These are the entrepreneurs who have been left behind by the traditional financial system.
His model is credited with changing the way we measure creditworthiness. It accomplishes this by using up-to-the-minute information about work, income, and the user’s financial activity. In doing so, Chowdhury wants to continue the empowerment of people who have long been locked out of fundamental financial tools.
Building Infrastructure for the Invisible Majority
Throughout his career, Chowdhury has constructed a deep corporate infrastructure. These days, he’s working on crafting a new equity framework to help those same underserved communities. He knows all too well that the traditional definition of creditworthiness excludes too many people. This is because he’s constantly searching to produce openings that conform to their real situation.
Chowdhury’s progress has been met with overwhelming praise. Just take a look at regions such as the United Kingdom, India, and North America where he’s received approval ratings that support his dignity-first approach. And yet, as the value of his work sinks in, this validation spurs him to further finetune his model, broader and deeper outreach.
His dedication to this passion is not lost on the young people he teaches. One of the founders, in a recent interview, described their initial panic when a major partner withdrew just as they were about to launch. Under Chowdhury’s direction, the founder weathered the storm and came through on the other side—a great example of the difference that mentorship can make to fledgling entrepreneurs.
The Future of AI and Empathy
As AI increasingly takes root across industries, Chowdhury insists that we need to train our systems to care. His goal is to keep AI from making arbitrary choices that can result in misrepresentation or bias. He’s woven dignity into AI training processes. His overarching aim is to design systems that truly listen and cater to human needs.
Chowdhury’s vision is of a more technologically advanced future, and a more equitable society. His vision is that by eliminating the financial barriers disproportionately impacting marginalized communities, society as a whole can start to make up for years of inequities.
