Albert Nii Noi Okwei
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Ph.D. Student in Public Policy and Administration; Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant,
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University; Research Institute for Social Equity
Conference Participation
Lightning Round II: Impact of Government and Community Interventions
on Reducing Inequality
Paper: Compliance Is Not Protection: Civil Rights Audits for Racial Equity in AI Benefits Administration
Abstract: Federal agencies increasingly use AI in benefits administration, case management, and program access, yet equity protections have not kept pace with deployment. This presentation argues that without structured, equity-centered audit protocols for rights-impacting systems, AI compliance can become procedural rather than protective, preserving racial disparities in public service delivery. Drawing on street-level bureaucracy and emerging AI governance scholarship, I examine how frontline AI tools may obscure, reproduce, or intensify racial inequality in access to public programs. I propose a remedy-oriented accountability framework centered on disparate impact testing, transparency, public disclosure, and community-facing oversight, and show why federal AI governance must treat racial equity as a core implementation requirement.
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Biography: Albert Nii Noi Okwei is a Ph.D. student in Public Policy and Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where he also serves as a Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant with the Research Institute for Social Equity. His research examines inclusive governance, administrative burden, digital transformation, AI accountability, and equity-centered policy design, with attention to both U.S. public institutions and Global South contexts.
Albert’s current work explores how public and nonprofit institutions can adopt data-driven and AI-enabled systems while protecting civil rights, reducing service barriers, and improving access for underserved communities. He has written on digital health equity, AI governance, broadband access, food access inequality, and administrative burden in public service delivery. His applied experience spans policy research, program evaluation, government-community partnerships, nonprofit management, and public administration in Ghana and the United States.
Before beginning his doctoral studies, Albert earned a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Leadership and Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Administration from the University of Ghana. He is committed to producing rigorous, policy-relevant research that supports more accountable, inclusive, and equitable public systems.
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