Bias is inherent in us humans but also found in machine AI that is used to narrow down huge job applicant pools. Machine algorithms have been trained to filter down candidates based on successful hires in the past, resulting in bias building up.
To improve the AI side, an initiative is underway by a new Data & Trust Alliance group set up in September 2020. They aim to offer companies that rely on AI hiring, a tool kit to identify then eliminate unfair bias.
“The business partners include 21 large corporations—among them Walmart, Nike, Meta, IBM, American Express, Mastercard, CVS, Deloitte, General Motors, Humana, Nielsen, and Under Armour.
As of Dec 8, 2021, 11 members committed to adopting version 1.0 of their “Algorithmic Bias Safeguards for Workforce”
Their “Algorithmic Bias Safeguards” include a set of 55 questions for evaluating AI hiring software. The alliance says this tool can be used to spot AI’s unintended discrimination in everything from a company’s training data and hiring model design, to its bias remediation methods, commitments to diversity, and transparency about the whole process.”
Hopefully their initiatives enable more equitable opportunities by eliminating bias like gender, race and even names! Its sadly funny (or funnily sad?) that we now need 2 resumes … one for the machine (Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)) and one for a human!