Amazon had to shut down a computer algorithm used to recruit new staff because it developed a bias against women. According to Reuters, it was developed in 2014 to score job candidate’s resumes. By 2015, it became clear the system was not rating candidates in a gender-neutral way.
Amazon’s system was programmed to ultimately favor men. It penalized resumes that included the word “women’s,” and downgraded graduates of two all-women’s colleges.
Activists say they are concerned about transparency in AI. The ACLU brought a lawsuit challenging a law that allows criminal prosecution, under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, of researchers and journalists who test hiring websites’ algorithms for discrimination.
Some 55 percent of U.S. human resources managers said artificial intelligence, or AI, would be a regular part of their work within the next five years, according to a 2017 survey by talent software firm CareerBuilder.
Image: “artificial-intelligence-698154_1920 (1)” by Maziani Sabudin is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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[…] new patent comes shortly after Amazon had to scrap an internal A.I. system for hiring that was discriminating against women. Some worry the lack of transparency in these new […]