Invited Talk
in
Workshop: Regulatable ML: Towards Bridging the Gaps between Machine Learning Research and Regulations Sun, Dec 7, 2025 • 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM PST

Invited Talk 3: Observations at the Intersection of Privacy and Machine Learning

Gary Howarth

Abstract

Privacy presents a distinctive set of challenges in machine learning risk management. This talk will explore the intersection of privacy and ML risks, highlighting key barriers to effective risk management. Drawing from recent work at the NIST Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs Testbed), the talk will examine the challenges of identifying and mitigating privacy risks in ML systems. Through specific examples from recent red teaming exercises, I will illustrate the complexities of managing privacy risks in ML, including issues related to data minimization, model interpretability, and adversarial attacks. The observations will inform a discussion on the need for a nuanced and multidisciplinary approach to approaching privacy-related ML risks.

Speaker

Gary Howarth

Gary Howarth, PhD is a scientist and program officer in the Public Safety Communications Research Division and the Privacy Engineering Program of the Applied Cybersecurity Division since 2019. Gary leads research projects in privacy-enhancing technology evaluation and mission critical voice communications. Previously at NIST, Gary managed the Differential Privacy Temporal Map Prize Challenge, co-led the Tech to Protect Prize Challenge, and the mFIT Prize Challenge. He serves as the federal program officer on several cooperative agreements with extramural partners. Gary earned his PhD in the Chemistry Department at Columbia University where he researched membrane protein structure and function by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. He previously taught high school science and co-founded the NET Charter High School, an open admissions public school for struggling teens in New Orleans. In his spare time, Gary enjoys reading and spending time outdoors in all seasons and all conditions. He lives with his wife and daughter in Rhode Island.

Video

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