{"id":9077,"date":"2021-11-22T19:23:21","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T19:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1373841"},"modified":"2021-11-22T19:23:21","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T19:23:21","slug":"nyc-bill-to-rein-in-ai-hiring-tools-looks-like-it-was-meant-to-backfire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=9077","title":{"rendered":"NYC bill to rein in AI hiring tools looks like it was meant to backfire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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New York recently passed a bill providing guidelines for the operation of automated hiring software in the city. Allegedly, city council\u2019s aim with this legislation was to protect New Yorkers from biased AI. But, from where we\u2019re sitting, it looks like it\u2019s going to do the exact opposite.<\/p>\n

Up front:<\/strong> The bill, dubbed int 1894-2020<\/a>, was meant to address the issue of bias in AI software.<\/p>\n

Companies such as HireVue claim their algorithms can actually remove hiring bias \u2013 the schtick here is that computers can\u2019t be bigots<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But the reality is that there\u2019s no magic way to remove bias from an AI system. Algorithms aren\u2019t magical spells. They\u2019re usually math-based guidelines. And, because computers and algorithms are designed and programmed by humans, they contain inherent bias<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words:<\/strong> A computer cannot make value judgements on human beings. All they can do is make \u201cguesses.\u201d Some guesses are harmless, like when Netflix guesses you\u2019ll like a certain movie and you don\u2019t. You can just watch something else. Other guesses are bad, like when an algorithm decides you\u2019re not worth hiring.<\/p>\n

AI absolutely cannot tell if you\u2019re lying<\/a>. AI can\u2019t understand emotions<\/a>. And it certainly can\u2019t measure human intelligence<\/a>. Which makes most of the claims made by companies specializing in automated hiring systems specious at best and outright lies at worst.<\/p>\n

But the real question here isn\u2019t whether an AI can predict whether a human will be a good fit for a given job (it definitely can\u2019t<\/a>), it\u2019s whether or not the new bill can protect New Yorkers from predatory snake oil companies that claim it can.<\/p>\n

Good idea:<\/strong> passing a bill that protects New Yorkers from predatory snake oil companies.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s long past time politicians in the US to did something about these demonstrably harmful AI systems<\/a> and the companies peddling them.<\/p>\n

Bad idea:<\/strong> letting the software\u2019s vendors<\/em> decide whether an algorithm is biased or not.<\/p>\n

Per the bill:<\/p>\n

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This bill would require that a bias audit be conducted on an automated employment decision tool prior to the use of said tool. The bill would also require that candidates or employees that reside in the city be notified about the use of such tools in the assessment or evaluation for hire or promotion, as well as, be notified about the job qualifications and characteristics that will be used by the automated employment decision tool. Violations of the provisions of the bill would be subject to a civil penalty.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But, those violations? They\u2019re feckless. It\u2019s up to the vendor<\/i> to conduct and report audits demonstrating their algorithms aren\u2019t biased. <\/span><\/p>\n

Quick take:<\/strong> This is like letting Thanos<\/a> conduct audits and report compliance with New York City ethics. \u201cAccording to the big purple dude, his use of the Infinity Gauntlet is perfectly ethical. He did an audit and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this case, New York\u2019s passed a bill that gives AI vendors the power to legally determine whether they\u2019re being ethical or not. This doesn\u2019t protect citizens, it protects scammy AI companies.<\/p>\n

HireVue gave a statement to the AP that sums it up best. Per that article<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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HireVue, a platform for video-based job interviews, said in a statement this week that it welcomed legislation that \u201cdemands that all vendors meet the high standards that HireVue has supported since the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Exactly. HireVue currently uses AI<\/a> to allegedly assess candidates\u2019 \u201ce-motions.\u201d The company actually claims computer vision algorithms can determine a user\u2019s \u201cemotional intelligence.\u201d This, of course, is not possible<\/a> because AI doesn\u2019t have magic powers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And, if that\u2019s the standard New York\u2019s using to determine whether an AI system is biased, then it\u2019s open season on the Big Apple. I can\u2019t think of a single AI startup, no matter how awful and scammy<\/a>, that couldn\u2019t pass that bar.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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