• Home
  • News
  • Big Data & Analytics
  • DevOps
  • Security
  • GDPR
  • AI & ML
  • Women in Tech
  • Cloud & Infrastructure
  • CIO
  • Deskflix
  • Events
  • Whitepapers
  • Spotlights
  • IT Leaders 250
  • Research
  • Delta
  • Tech Marketing Hub
  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • Sign in
  •  
      • Newsletters
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
     
    • You are currently accessing Computing via your Enterprise account.

      If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

      If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

      Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

      Email: customerservices@incisivemedia.com

      • Sign in
     
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Newsletters
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Register
  • Events
    • Upcoming events
      event logo
      Microsoft Teams backup: Are you doing enough to protect your Office 365 environment?

      In this webinar we explore the value of using a third-party backup and recovery solution for Microsoft Teams and the services that underpin it – securing your settings, members, team structure, channels and tabs.

      • Date: 24 Feb 2021
      event logo
      Deskflix Financial Services

      oin us for this episode of Deskflix to hear from industry experts and peers on their 2020 best practices, what they’ve learnt for 2021 and how they plan to overcome the next wave of disruption.

      • Date: 03 Mar 2021
      event logo
      Deskflix IT Leader's Summit

      Six months on from our inaugural IT Leaders’ Festival, Deskflix IT Leaders’ Summit is a chance to take stock and reflect on the first quarter of 2021. How did you overcome the obstacles of 2020? Was progression as expected? What were your biggest threats and biggest growth opportunities?

      • Date: 24 Mar 2021
      event logo
      AI & Machine Learning Awards 2021

      The Computing AI & Machine Learning Awards recognise the best companies, individuals, and projects in the AI space today. The awards cover every corner of the industry: security, ethics, data analysis, innovation and more, as well as showcasing the movers and shakers: the technology heroes and projects that deserve industry-wide praise. The winners will be announced in London on 1 July 2020. Entries are now open!

      • Date: 09 Jun 2021
      • TBC, London
      View all events
  • Whitepapers
    • LATEST WHITEPAPERS
      Darktrace 120x194
      Cyber AI Response: Threat Report 2019

      This white paper details 7 case studies of attacks that were intercepted and neutralised by Darktrace cyber defense AI, including a zero-day trojan in a manufacturing company's network. Learn how Darktrace Antigena AI Response modules fight back autonomously, no matter where a threat may emerge, extending to the Cloud, Email and SaaS.

      Download
      Darktrace 120x194
      Cyber AI & Darktrace Cloud

      This white paper explores how cloud is a security blind spot for many organisations who struggle with the limited visibility and control in this new environment, where their existing security tools are often not applicable.

      Download
      Find whitepapers
      Search by title or subject area
      View all whitepapers
  • Spotlights
    • Spotlights

      Welcome to Computing's Spotlight section, where we focus in on particularly important themes and topics of enterprise IT.

      Intel logo

       

      Endpoint Management and Security Hub

  • IT Leaders 250
  • Research
  • Delta
  • Tech Marketing Hub
  • About Us
Computing
Computing
  • Home
  • News
  • Big Data & Analytics
  • DevOps
  • Security
  • GDPR
  • AI & ML
  • Women in Tech
  • Cloud & Infrastructure
  • CIO
  • Deskflix
 
    • Newsletters
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
 
  • You are currently accessing Computing via your Enterprise account.

    If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

    If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

    Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

    Email: customerservices@incisivemedia.com

    • Sign in
 
  • Software

US lawmakers introduce a bill to require algorithms to be checked for bias

Algorithmic Accountability Act would require US tech firms to audit their algorithms before deployment

Some tech companies have been challenged recently over biases in their algorithms. Image via Pixabay
Some tech companies have been challenged recently over biases in their algorithms. Image via Pixabay
  • Dev Kundaliya
  • 12 April 2019
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
0 Comments

Lawmakers in the US have drafted a bill that would require technology companies ensure that their machine learning algorithms are free of gender, race, and other biases before deployment.

The bill, called the Algorithmic Accountability Act, was introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives this week.

Reppresenative Yvette Clarke introduced the bill in the lower house, while Senators Cory Brooker and Ron Wyden did the same in the Senate.

The bill is likely to be heard first by the Senate Commerce Committee in coming months.

If passed, the bill would ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create guidelines for assessing the "highly sensitive" automated systems. Companies would be required to evaluate whether the algorithms powering their systems are discriminatory or biased, and whether they pose a security or privacy risk to consumers.

If companies find an algorithm implying the risk of privacy loss, they would take corrective actions to fix everything that is "inaccurate, unfair, biased or discriminatory" in the algorithm.

Companies would be required to evaluate whether the algorithms powering their systems are discriminatory or biased

The mandate will be applicable only to those companies that have annual revenues of $50 million or which keep data of more than one million people or devices. Data brokers that buy and sell consumer data will also come under the new law.

According to Senator Ron Wyden, the bill is needed because of the ever-increasing involvement of computer algorithms in the daily lives of people.

Wyden said that instead of abolishing bias, these algorithms often depend on biased data or assumptions that can reinforce prejudice.

Recently, a number of technology companies have faced scrutiny over their use of automated systems that decide which users will see what content, such as particular job or housing advertisements.

Earlier this year, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers conducted tests with Amazon's facial recognition platform, Rekognition, and found that it was less effective in accurately identifying some races and genders. The system reportedly preferred male applicants over female ones.

And last month, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development sued Facebook over allegations that the social giant allows ads on its platform to be served to particular genders and races.

However, some industry groups have criticised the proposed law.

"To hold algorithms to a higher standard than human decisions implies that automated decisions are inherently less trustworthy or more dangerous than human ones, which is not the case," Daniel Castro, a spokesman for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation told the BBC.

According to Castro, this law will "stigmatise" artificial intelligence technology and eventually discourage its use.

The Computing and Machine Learning Awards 2019 logo

The AI and Machine Learning Awards are coming! In July this year, Computing will be recognising the best work in AI and machine learning across the UK. Do you have research or a project that you think deserves wider recognition? Enter the awards today - entry is free. 

Further reading

Bad data made Amazon's AI biased against women
  • Databases
  • 10 October 2018
Facial recognition technology 'inherently biased' says Google cloud boss
  • Privacy
  • 27 July 2018
Open standards 'bias' - Microsoft confirms moderator was consultant in its employ
  • Government
  • 30 April 2012
EC adds more ammunition to its case against Google over search bias
  • Internet
  • 14 July 2016
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Software
  • Algorithmic Accountability Act
  • Yvette Clarke
  • Senate Commerce Committee
  • Federal Trade Commission

More on Software

IBM reveals new quantum roadmap
IBM reveals new quantum roadmap

IBM foresees a 1,000-qubit device by 2023, and 'frictionless quantum computing' by 2025

  • Software
  • 04 February 2021
Peter Cochrane: What we need to understand about the rise of distributed AI

'Things that think want to link, and things that link want to think'

  • Hardware
  • 02 February 2021
World Economic Forum launches GAIA to accelerate responsible AI adoption
World Economic Forum launches GAIA to accelerate responsible AI adoption

The WEF's new platform will work to ensure that AI governance reflects best practices in data governance

  • Software
  • 29 January 2021
Poor-quality software cost the US economy $2.1 trillion last year
Poor-quality software cost the US economy $2.1 trillion last year

Operational software failure due to unpatched bugs was the leading contributor to the wasted $2.1 trillion

  • Software
  • 11 January 2021
DevSecOps: the art of bringing security into the fold

QA and testers need to be first-class members of the team

  • DevOps
  • 05 January 2021
blog comments powered by Disqus
Back to Top

Most read

Businesses have a 12-month grace period to flub IR35, says HMRC
Businesses have a 12-month grace period to flub IR35, says HMRC
Brussels on the verge of issuing a positive data adequacy decision for UK
Brussels on the verge of issuing a positive data adequacy decision for UK
'Silver Sparrow' malware infects about 30,000 Macs worldwide
'Silver Sparrow' malware infects about 30,000 Macs worldwide
North Korea targets Pfizer in vaccine hack
North Korea targets Pfizer in vaccine hack
'Spy pixels' in emails can track engagement and location
'Spy pixels' in emails can track engagement and location
  • Contact
  • Delta
  • Marketing solutions
  • Enterprise IT Events
  • Incisive Media
  • Terms & conditions
  • Policies
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

im_logo

© Incisive Business Media (IP) Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR, registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 09177174 & 09178013

Digital publisher of the year
Digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2017
Loading