Thursday, November 11, 2021

Businesses Could Face Fines In NYC Crackdown On Bias For AI Hiring Tools


The New York City Council's Committee on Technology, on Wednesday, Approved a Bill that would bar Employers from using Automated Hiring Tools, unless the Software has Undergone an Independent Audit for Racial and Gender Biases, and the Business notifies Candidates that Automated Tools are being used. The Bill was Approved by the Full City Council later that afternoon.

Violations could result in a $500 Fine for any Type of Business using Software that has Not been Audited.

New York City is the First Municipality to Regulate the use of such Tools, which are used near Universally by Major Employers.

"A job advertised online today attracts dozens to hundreds to thousands of applications, mainly due to the amplifying effect of the internet," said Laurie Cumbo, Democratic Majority Leader of the Council and Sponsor of the Bill. She said.

Employers have adopted Software that sifts through Applications Rapidly and makes Recommendations through an "opaque" Process. So your Résumé must now be Especially Formatted, so the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Software can read it.

"My bill will require audits that will clear the fog around these processes and help limit implicit bias and discrimination in the hiring process," Cumbo said.

Harvard Business School Surveyed 2,250 Executives, earlier this year, and found that 90% of Companies were using Software to Screen Applicants, even as a Majority of those Firms, admitted that the screening process Eliminated Qualified Candidates.

That happens for Reasons beyond Gender or Racial Discrimination. Sometimes Résumés leave off Details and Keywords Employers search for, or Job Listings cast too wide a net.

But there is evidence that Automated Tools, which are programmed by Humans who arguably carry their own Biases, can Reinforce Discrimination in the Hiring Process.

In One High-Profile example, in 2018, Amazon Shut Down a Résumé-Scanning Tool, after it found the System gave Male Candidates an Advantage.

This is an Issue the Federal Government is watching as well. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said last month, that it would launch a Working Group, among other Initiatives, to Study how AI is being used in Hiring.

"We support the bill and worked closely with the council on it," said Laura Feyer, a Spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio (D). The Mayor on Tuesday, issued a "message of necessity" in Support of the Bill.

The Council held a Hearing on the Bill in November 2020. The Bill has since been Amended to Add a Requirement that Employers ensure the Software they are using, has been Audited.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker


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