Is Machine Learning And AI Biased?

In this digital age, people are now open to the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. However, many of us are still looking at the pros and cons that this new technology brings.

It has been almost half a decade since AI has become a part of our lives, from Amazon’s Alexa to Google Assistant to Apple’s Siri; we can’t deny the fact that the current society is embracing the technological revolution. But, these innovations and quick implementation could also have a significant impact on society.

Today, there has been a growing interest in how biased machine learning and AI is. People are concerned with the insufficient diversity of experience to identify bias when it comes to training data and a standardized workforce.

The digital world is an extremely biased place. Silicon Valley is continuously developing new technologies that could bring a lot of changes in society. It is true that they want to make our lives more comfortable with these new kitchen appliances, smartphones, and other smart home AI devices. But, most of these creations target opulent customers who would generally choose comfort over the price tag. For creators, it is a good way to generate income, but for society as a whole, it could have drawbacks.

This emphasis on the monetization potential of AI and machine learning rather than a public good is actually a reflection of how biased the industry is as a whole. Most of these innovations would not help in saving the environment and making it a better place to live in for future generations. Instead, creators are more focused on developing AI devices that offer features that make our lives a little more easy and comfortable. 

As AI is becoming accessible to almost everyone, the continuing progress of intelligent algorithms is quickly becoming predominant in many aspects of human and machine decision-making. While these intelligent algorithms have already been used for quite a number of years, there are rising concerns about the AI having biased automated decisions as well as the lack of accountability and transparency. With this, the makers of algorithms are faced with a big challenge to ensure the integrity of AI for decision-making as this can have a huge effect on society.