Rooting out racism in AI systems — there’s no time to lose

Many companies create a values-based statement that includes the idea that their products will do no harm. But, as R3 Score’s Hodge pointed out, coming up with a values statement is the easy part.

“While it is useful for large companies to go on what we call ‘learning journeys,’ the real work begins after the statements and in-house awareness has been raised, and this is where there is often less clarity about next steps,” Hodge said.

Operationalizing diversity and inclusion doesn’t have to be hard, she said. She recommended finding very specific data points that codify things like improving hiring outcomes, increasing the length of tenure among minority employees and shifting corporate attitudes about race. While this is not especially complicated, it can be uncomfortable and may feel like a distraction from just doing your job, she said. But progress won’t be made without this kind of effort.

“Systemic racism is systemic for a reason; it is our status quo,” Hodge said. Identifying and rooting it out will often compete with business as usual.

It may mean, for example, not delivering technologies and products because no one can figure out why people of color are not having the same outcomes. It could mean shelving money invested in RD, staff time and marketing. It will mean having the courage to not deploy and not release until the playing field is level along race and income indicators.

“That is hard for a company but, in my opinion, that is what it will take to finally address racism in technology,” Hodge said.

The work environment is no different from the whole of society, in which people are finally waking up to a conversation that is hundreds of years in the making in America, Hodge said.

“It is going to be messy, uncomfortable and, at times, painful. Many people are going to get it wrong, and some people are just not interested in being antiracist. These people get up and go to work somewhere every day, and some of them work in tech and build algorithms,” she said. Progress will require leadership at the highest levels and sustained effort throughout the enterprise.

“Companies must navigate all of this while still operating. Real change, even while it is being discussed at the high level, will happen in small, everyday decisions,” she said.