When AI Gets It Wrong – Bias in the Machine
The Myth of Objectivity
AI is often marketed as neutral, logical, and free of human flaws. In reality, algorithms learn from us — and inherit our worst biases. When unchecked, these flaws scale at frightening speed.
Hiring Gone Wrong
Amazon famously scrapped its AI recruiting tool after discovering it consistently downgraded resumes from women. The model had been trained on historical hiring data, which reflected decades of gender imbalance in tech.
Predictive Policing and Justice
Algorithms used in U.S. courts, like COMPAS, have been shown to unfairly predict higher recidivism rates for Black defendants. Instead of removing bias, AI entrenched it.
Healthcare Disparities
Even in medicine, bias creeps in. A widely used hospital algorithm underestimated the health risks of Black patients compared to white patients with similar conditions, leading to worse care outcomes.
The Real Risk: Scale
A biased human makes one bad decision at a time. A biased algorithm makes thousands in seconds — and often invisibly.
