Viewpoint: I Unintentionally Created A Biased Ai Algorithm 25 Years Ago — Tech Companies Are Still Making The Same Mistake

In 1998, computer scientist Dr. John Smith unintentionally created a racially biased artificial intelligence algorithm. This story is still relevant today, as evidenced by recent blunders by tech companies in the world of AI chatbots and image generators. Joy Buolamwini’s 2019 video poem “AI, Ain’t I a Woman?” highlights the racial and gender biases in automatic face recognition systems. Dr. Smith’s algorithm used skin color as an additional cue for tracking the movements of a person’s head. This story serves as a reminder of the dangers of bias and errors in AI algorithms.