Could Ethical AI Help Underrepresented Groups get Ahead at Work?
Burton-Bloom, L. (2022, April 27). Could ethical AI help underrepresented groups get ahead at work? The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-could-ethical-ai-help-underrepresented-groups-get-ahead-at-work/ UTL Link: https://www-proquest-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/docview/2655522487
Laura Burton-Bloom writes: “It’s no secret that the pandemic resulted in women and marginalized communities being ousted from the work force in record numbers. Though many demographic sectors have since bounced back, the gains remain unequal among traditionally under-represented groups. For example, employment in the accommodation and food service industries, which are traditionally staffed primarily by women, are still 17 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. And while the unemployment rate for racialized workers has returned to pre-pandemic levels, it’s still higher than that of non-racialized workers. Youth, Indigenous people, women with children under 6 and many other vulnerable sectors have experienced similar disparities.”
“‘[AI] could potentially play a beneficial role in addressing Canada’s overall hiring crisis,’ says Dr. Marianna Ganapini, faculty director and instructional designer at The Montreal AI Ethics Institute. Dr. Ganapini acknowledges that algorithms can ‘assimilate and reproduce the unjust biases present in our society.’ … But Dr. Ganapini notes that it’s possible to counteract this potential harm by leading with a ‘value sensitive design strategy,’ which lays out ‘actional steps for designing technology in accordance with our values.’”
“Diversio Global, based in Toronto, has developed an ethically stewarded AI-based platform that enables companies to measure and then improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their organizations. … In one recent case, Diversio worked with an organization losing female employees at a disproportionate rate compared to male counterparts. After collecting and analyzing information through their platform, Diversio was able to identify the organization’s primary pain point: that women felt there was a lack of interest and investment in their professional development.”
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario. (2022). Ontario’s Labour Market in 2021. https://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/labour-market-2022
International Women’s Day 2022. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-28-0001/2022001/article/00002-eng.htm
International Women’s Day 2021. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-28-0001/2018001/article/00020-eng.htm
Diversio. (2021). How to measure inclusion at your organization. https://diversio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Diversio_Inclusion-White-Paper_2021.pdf
Dastin, J. (2018, October 10). Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that shows bias against women. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-jobs-automation-insight-idUSKCN1MK08G
Photo Source: Ljubodrag Vasiljevic. [Photograph]. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-could-ethical-ai-help-underrepresented-groups-get-ahead-at-work/