AI and Unfair Bias: Addressing Gendered and Racialised Inequalities in AI

Artificial intelligence is perceived as being inherently objective and more ‘neutral’ than fallible human beings. However, contemporary research on artificial intelligence and applications of artificially intelligent technologies suggests that AI is often as biased as its human creators and the compromised data sets from which these technologies are created. This workshop consists of a 40-minute presentation about unfair bias and AI, after which we invite participants to contribute their ideas and feedback on bias in AI systems and the potential of AI to support equality initiatives. In the opening presentation, we break down some of the key ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence, gender, race, and bias.

We identify some of the conditions and practices that lead to the development of biased AI, such as the demographics of the AI workforce and the paucity of tangible measures used to address bias in AI production processes. We show how biased AI results in real-world harms through the examples of facial recognition and search algorithms. We then offer some steps forward for thinking about policies that the AI sector could implement to address bias in AI and work towards ethical, human-focused AI produced for social good.

Finally, we close by considering whether artificial intelligence can help us address racist and sexist biases, make people more aware of these biases, and perhaps even complicate systems of race and gender.

Please note that this is a live event and will not be recorded.