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“A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.”
Albert Camus
Though not a man, and lacking in claws and a grizzly mane of hair, Artificial Intelligence can be as threatening to our society as the ‘wild beast’ of the technological world.
While it’d be nice to believe that AI is unbiased and free of judgement, it’d be naive to assume so. By its very definition, AI is a technology that’s artificially designed to ‘simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.’ It’s created for humans, by humans. And what is (unfortunately) instilled in subconscious human thinking? A long history of systemic discrimination against marginalised groups. Do you see where we’re going with this?
As AI tools are increasingly popping up in all areas of the workplace, from recruitment and HR to comms and operations, it’s important to recognise that the technology development is ‘impeded by limited perspectives’ (Information Governance Services).
We are already seeing algorithmic biases being reinforced ‘since the relevant system designers/evaluators are biased already.’ In other words, if AI is the monster (or Albert Camus’ “wild beast”), does this make ‘man’ it’s Frankenstein? We think so.
Just as scarily, a recent research paper on AI and ethics argues that diversity and inclusion considerations are ‘significantly neglected in AI systems design, development, and deployment.’ Big red flag, are we right?
Researchers warn that ‘ignoring D&I in AI systems can cause digital redlining, discrimination, and algorithmic oppression, leading to AI systems being perceived as untrustworthy and unfair.’
The question is, what can we do to avoid algorithmic oppression in the workplace?
Assess your processes & mitigate the impact of bias: If you’re using AI tools in your business, particularly recruitment and HR, take a minute to consider how diverse your team is. If marginalised groups need more representation in their workforce, subconscious discrimination may be at play. Protect your current and future employees by reviewing whether certain candidates are being overlooked by AI and make a change.
Check and check again: Whatever you’re using AI for, the most effective way to ensure that a job is done ethically is by constantly pausing to evaluate. Add multiple touch points where work is reviewed and analysed with a real, human eye. After all, we don’t want robots to totally take over our jobs and judgement, do we?
Do your research and back the experts: Many qualified experts are publishing data that shows the societal and ethical implications of AI, you can support and subscribe to their work e.g. The Algorithmic Justice League.
IBM insists that the problematic biases being exposed in AI models require ‘more than a technical, algorithm or AI-based solution. In reality, a holistic, socio-technical approach is required.’
While AI is an exciting development for the workplace and the benefits are plentiful, we’re still a long way off from perfecting the technology. We have a long way to go before we can be sure that the algorithms are inclusive for all.
For more information, visit our Insights page: www.hustlecrew.co/insights
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