5 Steps to Help Tech Companies Reduce Bias in AI

Children inevitably adapt to the culture in which they were raised. Parents or guardians shape the lens through which they view the world, largely through the examples they set. Many parents experience humored horror when a child picks up on an inappropriate word, likely from an overheard adult conversation, and begins to employ that expression in their everyday speech. It does not matter whether the parent is intentionally or unintentionally crafting the lens for the child — they will still pick up on the parents’ viewpoints and habits.

We are witnessing this same progression in the world. systems adopt the worldview of their creators, just like children adopt the worldview of the adults that raised them. This is problematic because artificial intelligence cannot develop its own worldview, learn from its life experiences or challenge its creator’s worldview like a child might as they grow older.

Here are five initiatives that will help prevent bias in tech.

Artificial intelligence systems are biased, and the technology usually follows the viewpoints of its creators. While society has changed considerably in the last half-century, corporations still have underlying (whether they realize them or not). It’s essential that we take active steps to reverse our biases so that we can prevent further biases from developing in artificial intelligence, and the best way to do this is to make the tech industry more accessible to a wider range of people.

Initiatives like Girls Who Code, AI4ALL and other educational programs make it possible for children to develop an interest in technology. To reduce bias and make the tech industry more diverse, leaders must invest in the education of young people so that they can develop an interest in the field and build the skills necessary to pursue a career. Tech companies should invest in a range of students early on, knowing that investments in education yield long-term results.

Despite numerous call-outs of major industry leaders, the tech world still lacks diversity. The Harvard Business Review reported that leading companies like Google have only crawled ahead toward more diversity among staff members. Even nearly seven years after tech companies started reporting diversity efforts, most leading tech organizations are failing — with minorities only making up single-digit percentages of the overall workforce.

It goes without saying, but companies must actively hire and promote with diversity in mind.