AI Fairness Isn’t Just an Ethical Issue

You might assume that technology is neutral; but the reality is far from it. Machine learning algorithms are created by people—all who have biases. These AI systems are never fully ‘objective’; rather, they reflect the world view of those who build them and the data they’re fed. The societal and business costs of bias can be substantial; however, the benefits of eliminating bias can be just as significant. A Stanford University study found that at least “25% of growth in U.S. GDP between 1960 and 2010 can be attributed to greater gender and racial balance in the workplace”. So, how might we work to eliminate AI bias? First, every AI system needs to be held accountable. We can’t lose sight of the fact that AI systems are tools. They need to be designed to benefit humans, not harm them. As this author suggests, “By making our AI systems fairer, we can also make our organizations more profitable and productive.”