Is an algorithm any less racist than a human?
by Leigh Alexander from Technology | The Guardian on (#1PAXP)
Employers trusting in the impartiality of machines sounds like a good plan to eliminate bias, but data can be just as prejudiced as we are
We would all like to fancy ourselves as eminently capable of impartiality, able to make decisions without prejudices - especially at work. Unfortunately, the reality is that human bias, both conscious and unconscious, can't help but come into play when it comes to who gets jobs and how much money candidates get offered.
Managers often gravitate to people most like themselves, make gender-based assumptions about skills or salaries, or reject candidates who have non-white names - to name just a few examples - even if they don't mean to.
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