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How Artificial Intelligence can assist in mitigating systematic bias during the hiring process
Diversity, Equity and InclusionFintechTechnology

How Artificial Intelligence can assist in mitigating systematic bias during the hiring process

By 13 March 2023March 20th, 2023No Comments

Conversations with an AI

Chapter 3

The availability of Artificial intelligence (AI) to the public, free of charge since 2023, has landed us firmly in the Transformation substage of the Information Technology Age, with the mechanical and industrial stages now a distant memory. Over the coming months, AI will continue to grow and evolve based on our interactions with it (what we teach it). Our continued responsibility will be to do so ethically, just as a good parent would guide a child to contribute positively to the world. With all of this in mind, I’m excited to share “Conversations with an AI”, a series based on actual conversations I had with artificial intelligence, and which was inspired by my newly published whitepaper, “Improving DEI in Systematic Hiring” In collaboration with Nin Tran, Chief Executive Officer of SnapBrillia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be valuable in mitigating systematic bias during the hiring process. An AI system must be trained to recognise bias by providing examples of biased and unbiased language, decision-making, or other forms of conduct Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a valuable role in mitigating systematic bias during the hiring process. How artificial intelligence can assist in mitigating systematic bias during the hiring process.

It is possible to teach AI systems to delete personally identifiable data from resumes, such as names and addresses., which reduces the impact of unconscious prejudices based on factors such as a candidate’s geographic area, gender, or race. By leaving out this information, employers will be more likely to hire people based on their skills and abilities, which will help them build a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

 Artificial Intelligence algorithms can generate interview questions to evaluate applicants objectively and make them less susceptible to personal biases. In addition, by using a structured interview process, interviewers are more likely to ask each candidate the same questions in the same order. This process makes the evaluation of each candidate more unbiased.

AI systems can use predictive analytics to evaluate data from successful hires to uncover trends and traits that contribute to success in a given role. This data can assist in finding applicants who have specific characteristics regardless of their gender, race and self-identification.

How can humans utilise AI in mitigating bias?

  1. Identifying and removing biased language in job descriptions: AI algorithms can analyse job descriptions and identify language that may be biased against certain groups of people. By taking out this language, job descriptions can become more open and attract a broader range of applicants.
  2. Blind resume screening: AI algorithms can be trained to remove personally identifiable information from resumes, such as names and addresses. Removing this information helps to reduce the effect of unconscious biases related to things like a candidate’s gender or race. Removing this information can allow companies to select job applicants based solely on their qualifications and skills, increasing the chances of creating a truly diverse and inclusive workplace.
  3. Structured interviews: AI algorithms can provide interview questions designed to evaluate candidates objectively and, in a way, less susceptible to personal biases. In addition, using a structured interview process, interviewers are prompted to ask the same questions in the same order for each candidate, leading to more consistent evaluations.
  4. Predictive Analytics: AI algorithms can analyse data from successful hires to identify patterns and characteristics that lead to success in a given role. Using the predictive method, AI can help identify candidates with equivalent traits, regardless of bias factors like gender or ethnicity.

It’s important to note that AI is not a perfect solution and must be used cautiously. Bias can still be introduced through the data sets used to train the algorithms or by the design of the algorithms themselves. Therefore, it is crucial to continually monitor and evaluate AI’s effectiveness in mitigating bias.

Reference:

Conversation with ChatGPT3