Computer Bias

Earlier we talked about beneficial and harmful effects of computing. Such conversation often lead to conversations on computer bias, particularly when bias creates a harmful effect.

As programmers, you now have the possibility of creating algorithms. It has been said, “Humans are error-prone and biased”. So, does that mean algorithms and the computers they run on are better?

Intentional or Purposeful bias (Crossover Group Up, 10 minutes)

  • Google “What age groups use Facebook” vs “… TikTok”? What does the data say? Is there purposeful exclusion in these platforms? Is it harmful? Should it be corrected? Is it good business?


The average user-base of Facebook is 18-24 while Tiktok is 10-19. The data shows that Facebook has an older audience, while Tiktok is mostly used by teens. There is no purposeful exclusion in these platforms, but the crowd that these apps attract influences whether or not certain kinds of people will join in the future. This could be harmful in some ways, as in the fact that very young children use Tiktok, and they could be easy to exploit. However, it is good business, since it gives these companies a specific demographic to target for advertisements.

  • Why do virtual assistants have female voices? Amazon, Alexa Google, Apple Siri. Was this purposeful? Is it harmful? Should it be corrected? Is it good business?

Some studies showed that its easier to find female voices that are liked by everyone. It is good business, since research was done specifically for this decisions. It could be harmful in some cases, since it promotes the idea that women are assistants. However, the settings could also be changed.

  • Talk about an algorithm that influences your decisions, think about these companies (ie FAANG - Facebook, Amazon, Apple,Netflix, Google)

Websites like Amazon and Google influence decisions by giving us information to form opinions, and showing us what to buy. If the information coming from these websites were skewed, the companies could sort of control the opinions and information of people

As Pairs (5 minutes)

  • Watch the video… HP computers are racist
  • Come up with some thoughts on the video and be ready to discuss them as I call on you. Here are some ideas…
    • Does the owner of the computer think this was intentional?
    • If yes or no, justify you conclusion.
    • How do you think this happened?
    • Is this harmful? Was it intended to be harmful or exclude?
    • Should it be corrected?
    • What would you or should you do to produce a better outcome?

No, I don’t think he thinks its intentional. The man is saying that it is a big flaw, but I dont think he thinks it was done on purpose. This could have happened because when HP was testing their face tracking system, they only tested one group of people, which was probably people with lighter skin. Because they did not test enough of a variety of people, a flaw slipped through the testing system. It should be corrected and the program should be taught to recognize darker skin tones as well, because otherwise a demographic of people is being excluded from a possibly helpful tool

Hacks

Write summary/thoughts/conclusions from each of the exercises above. Focus on avoiding Bias in algorithms or code you write.