Incidences of bias in AI-based systems have been all too prevalent in recent years, which has significantly undermined confidence in such systems to be of value to society.  New research from North Carolina State University suggests that it should be possible to design such biases out of the systems.

The researchers propose that software developers incorporate something known as “feminist design thinking” into their development processes so that the equity of their systems is improved, especially in highly sensitive areas such as recruitment.

“Too many existing hiring algorithms incorporate de facto identity markers that exclude qualified candidates because of their gender, race, ethnicity, age and so on,” the researchers say. “We are simply looking for equity – that job candidates be able to participate in the hiring process on an equal footing.”

Feminist by design

The researchers propose an approach whereby systems are feminist by design, and they believe such an approach is necessary to prevent algorithmic bias in any sort of meaningful way. It would require ensuring that equity is hard baked into the design of the algorithm itself.

“Compounding the effects of algorithmic bias is the historical underrepresentation of women, Black and Latinx software engineers to provide novel insights regarding equitable design approaches based on their lived experiences,” the authors continue.  “The practical application of this is the development and implementation of a process for creating algorithms in which designers are considering an audience that includes women, that includes Black people, that includes Latinx people. Essentially, developers of all backgrounds would be called on to actively consider – and value – people who are different from themselves.”

The researchers are at pains to point out that this is not simply a case of doing something that’s morally correct, but they remind us that biased systems perform poorly as well as unfairly.  This is especially so in recruitment, as the benefits of a diverse and capable workforce are well known, so it’s valuable on all fronts if systems are not discriminating against talent as a result of poor design.

“There is ample evidence that a diverse, inclusive workforce improves a company’s bottom line,” the researchers conclude. “If you can do the right thing and improve your profit margin, why wouldn’t you?”