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Section 12.3 Example: AI in Job Evaluation

1. Quote a passage or two from the article describing the purpose of the technology in question and the concerns about it.
   "artificial intelligence technology to screen new job candidates or monitor worker productivity can unfairly discriminate against people with disabilities"
   "AI-based recruitment tools—while often pitched as a way of eliminating human bias—can actually entrench bias"
2. Who uses the technology? Who benefits from it, and how do they benefit?
   Prospective employers use AI to screen candidates, so they can sort through applicants and hire good employees more efficiently.
   There are other AI tools that employers use to ‘streamline the work of evaluating employees’.
3. Who is harmed by the use of the technology, or unequal access to it? How could they be harmed? Quote specific examples from the article.
   Job applicants might be evaluated by a system that inflexibly defines ability: "Such technology could potentially screen out people with speech impediments, severe arthritis that slows typing or a range of other physical or mental impairments, the officials said."
   AI tools might judge employees unfairly by not taking accommodations into account: "Tools built to automatically analyze workplace behavior can also overlook on-the-job accommodations—such as a quiet workstation for someone with post-traumatic stress disorder or more frequent breaks for a pregnancy-related disability—that enable employees to modify their work conditions to perform their jobs successfully."
4. What does the article say is being done—or might be done—to change the impacts of the technology on society? What thoughts do you have?
   The US Justice Department issued guidance to employers. Use of these tools may be restricted by the Americans with Disabilities Act. They suggested that "employers should have accommodations for candidates with disabilities, including the ability to request an alternate path by which to be assessed".
   Perhaps the evaluation tools could be made more aware of potential disabilities and accomodations. The evaluation tools themselves should be evaluated by humans who have personal experience with workplace oppression.