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TOWARDS UNBIASED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:

LITERARY REVIEW OF DEBIASING TECHNIQUES

Smulders, C.O., Ghebreab, S.

Abstract Historical bias has been feeding into the algorithmic bias inherent in artificial intelligence systems. When

considering negative social bias, this process becomes indirectly discriminatory and leads to faulty artificial

intelligence systems. This problem has only recently been highlighted as a possible way in which bias can

propagate and entrench itself. The current research attempt to work toward a debiasing solution which can

be used to correct for negative bias in artificial intelligence. A literary analysis was done on technical

debiasing solutions, and actors which effect their implementation. A recommendation for the creation of a

debiasing open source platform is made, in which several technical proposed solutions should be

implemented. This allows for a low-cost way for companies to use debiasing tools in their application of

artificial intelligence systems. Furthermore, development would be sped up, taking proposed solutions out of

the highly restricted academic field and into the world of external application. A final note is made on the

feasibility of elimination of bias in artificial intelligence, as well as society at large

1: Introduction “Artificial intelligence presents a cultural shift as much as a technical one. This is similar to technological

inflection points of the past, such as the introduction of the printing press or the railways” (Nonnecke,

Prabhakar, Brown, & Crittenden, 2017). The invention of the printing press was the cause of much social

progress: the spread of intellectual property, and the increase in social mobility being just two facets of this

breakthrough. It allowed for a shake-up of the vestiges of absolute power derived from medieval society, and

reduced age-old economic and social biases (Dittmar, 2011). Conversely, the invention of the steam engine

and the industrial revolution that followed, was the cause of great social division: economic domination of

the many by the few, the formation of perennial economical groups, and arguably the invention of modern

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slave labor. While this distinction in not clear

cut, it serves as an easy reminder of the

possibilities and the danger that a massive

paradigm shift in the form of artificial

intelligence could bring about (figure 1).

The introduction of artificial intelligences

into the commercial market (Rockwood,

2018), political systems (Accenture, 2017),

legal systems (Furman, Holdren, Munoz,

Smith, & Zients, 2016; Nonnecke et al.,

2017), warfare (DARPA, 2016), and many

other fields is indicative of its future

widespread usage. Indeed, sources from

both commercial (Coval, 2018; Gershgorn, 2018; Nadella, 2018) as well as political institutions (Daley, 2018;

Goodman & Flaxman, 2016; STEM-C, 2018) highlight the need for fast and successful implementation of

artificial intelligence systems. At a recent keynote address at the World Economic Forum of 2017, the

growing AI economic sector, as well as the market efficiency achievable through implementation of AI

systems in other sectors, was highlighted as the most important economic change for the coming decades

(Bossmann, 2017). Similarly, the European Union (Goodman & Flaxman, 2016), United States (Furman et al.,

2016), Great Britain (Daley, 2018), as well as representatives of the G20 (Accenture, 2017), have all

mentioned that the use of artificial intelligence and big data in decision-making as key issues to be legislated

in the coming decades.

The large-scale realization that society is on the brink of an industrial revolution level paradigmatic shift is

partly due to the widely discussed book: ”Weapons of Math Destruction” by Cathy O’Neil (O’Neil, 2016). In

her book, O’Neil outlines the proliferation of artificial intelligence in many sectors of society, a process that

has ramped up significantly after the economic crash of 2008. While Artificial Intelligence is often marketed

as efficient, effective, and unbiased, O’Neil criticizes the use of artificial intelligence as markedly unfair,

explaining that it propagates existing forms of bias, and drives increasing economic inequality. While she

highlights specific cases, such as the racist bias in recidivism models and the economic bias of credit scoring

algorithms, the books message revolves around the larger danger that artificial intelligence poses for

ingraining existing inequalities. The main message propagated by O’Neil is ‘garbage in, garbage out’, later

hyperbolized to: ‘racism in, racism out’. If algorithms are made without regards to the previously existing

biased social structures (e.g. financial segregation of minority groups in the US), then those biases will be

propagated and enforced. Examples and an explanation of how this phenomenon occurs, both

mechanistically and practically, will be expanded upon in the section “Bias in AI”.

In the two years following the publishing of “Weapons of Math Destruction” a host of literature, both

scientific and newsprint, has been published on this subject (O’Neil, 2017). Many of these articles focus on

identifying other segments of society where artificial intelligence is currently causing biased classification

(Buranyi, 2017; Knight, 2017), while others focus on potential solutions to the problem (Howard &

Figure 1: model of resource and appropriation theory adopted from van Dijk (2012). Information and Computer Technologies (ICTs) have technological aspects (characteristics), and

relational aspects (e.g. participation which affect expanded inequality (i.e. bias). The current research will focus mainly on the characteristics of artificial intelligence (one possible ICT).

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Borenstein, 2017; Sherman, 2018). Unfortunately, as this field of literature is very young, no synchronicity

exists amongst different proposed solutions, nor has much criticism of existing solutions been levied. This

leaves a gap in our literary understanding of how different actors can works towards reducing the effects of

negative bias in artificial intelligence systems.

In a recent article in the New York Times, Kate Crawford, an industry specialist currently working on the issue

of ethical artificial intelligence, mentions the urgency of this problem (Crawford, 2018). She compares the

issue of biased artificial intelligence to the problem of creating autonomous artificial intelligence noted by

tech giants like Elon Musk and Warren Buffet (i.e. the problem of emergence), and notes that these concerns

are only relevant if the current problem of biased artificial intelligence can be solved. Indeed, the danger of

unquestionable mathematics created under the guise of science resulting in massive disparity is a pressing

concern. It is therefore important understand how we can prevent artificial intelligence from learning our

worst impulses.

The current study will try to fill this research gap by answering the following question:

How can we reduce the effects of negative bias in our artificial intelligence systems?

This thesis is structured by first elaborating on the definitions of artificial intelligence and bias, creating a

clear understanding of the terminology used throughout the paper and delineating the framework of the

inquiry. Secondly, an account is made of the processes and mechanisms involved in bias creation in human

cognition, artificial intelligence, and at a more conceptual philosophical level. Concrete examples from a

variety of disciplines will be explored to elucidate the depth and severity of the problem. Concurrently,

proposed solutions will be discussed at multiple stages of the implementation of artificial intelligence:

Commercial

interestPolitical interests

Technical

implementationTransparency laws

Artifical intelligence bias

Figure 2: model of the four topics of previously proposed solutions which will be discussed in the current paper. It is important to note that all proposed solutions will be discussed as to their effect on, and viability for, any technical implementation of artificial intelligence.

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technical solutions, market solutions, and political solutions (figure 2). The section of solutions will be

concluded by a discussion on solutions of transparency existing in all previously mentioned relevant sectors.

Finally, a discussion section will highlight the synchronized proposed solution that resulted from this literary

analysis, and a recommendation will be made on how different levels of society (figure 2) can work towards

creating more ethically conscious artificial intelligence programming.

2: What is Artificial Intelligence? There is a myriad of examples in popular culture of what Artificial Intelligence can look like, from the 1968

HAL9000 to the eastern Puppetmaster in Ghost in the Shell. Unfortunately, these portrayals often don’t do

justice to the wide breadth of technological innovations which fall under the rubric of artificial intelligence.

Definitionally, artificial intelligence covers all technology that artificially mimics a certain aspect of cognitive

intelligence, be it sensory intelligence, visuospatial intelligence, emotional intelligence, or any other form of

intelligence (Gordon-Murnane, 2018). Yet a more generalizable method of describing artificial intelligence

would be: an artificially created system that, when given external data, identifies patterns through features

to achieve classification of novel stimuli (figure 3, Dietterich & Kong, 1995). As an example, for sensory

intelligence, a voice to text translator might be trained on a set of dictated speeches (external data), which

results in the recognition of certain sounds (features) being related to phonemes (pattern recognition), to be

able to classify (i.e. translate) voice to text in real time (classification of novel stimuli). This limited definition

allows for a more focused understanding of the current issue of bias feeding into classification systems. Other

types of artificial intelligence exist in the form of regression artificial intelligence as well as simple artificial

intelligence (e.g. algorithmic calculators). For the purpose of the current paper, artificial intelligence can be

understood as systems that classify individual cases into a subclass in a multiclass distinction.

Figure 3: visual representation of the four aspects generally associated with creating an artificial intelligence algorithm

To achieve this classification, pattern recognition is done on a set of features informative to the data. This can

be either a priory, in the case of supervised learning, or through unsupervised learning, where the artificial

intelligence algorithm creates it own set of features derived from the initially entered data. In the famous

example of Deep Blue, the chess artificial intelligence program, the programmers chose to digitalize a value

for each position of all chess piece (i.e. white bishop on C3 might correspond to an arbitrary value of 3),

which altogether comprised the current state of the board (thus being an example of supervised learning).

The values corresponding to the placement of the pieces are the features which are informative of the

current data. Classification can then be performed to determine what the optimal move would be in the

current pattern of pieces. An unsupervised version of Deep Blue, the recent artificial intelligence chess

Classfication choice

Data selection

Feature selection

Model choice

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champion, AlphaZero, created its own features through simulated self-training. While it is not possible to

explain these features in a straightforward manner, it can be understood that AlphaZero considers more than

just the state of the board, possibly creating features of the emotional state of the opponent, oversight of a

part of the board by the opponent, and other aspects of the game of chess.

The classification results from a decision criterium: a set of rules which delineate particular outputs (generally

referred to as classes) from one another. Emotion recognition algorithms for example, use the state of facial

muscles as features, and classify instances of faces as being in certain emotional states (Howard, Zhang, &

Horvitz, 2017). Hypothetically, if there are 10 facial muscles, and fear would correspond to the five lower

digits whereas anger corresponded to the upper digits, a feature pattern of [1, 4, 5] would be classified as

fear, as all features point toward the lower digits. Classifications can become more complex, for example as

sub goals are used (e.g. emotion of face can only be fear if muscle 2 is activated, resulting in a classification as

angry), hidden features are used (e.g. muscle 4 and 5 used together point towards anger, resulting in a

classification as angry), multiple classes are used (e.g. muscles 4-7 are used when a face is sad, resulting in a

classification as sad), features are not all unidirectional (e.g. muscles [1, 8, 9] are detected, which could be

taken as an average to result in the classification as angry), or when other subsets and combinations of data

are used.

Artificial intelligence is an artificially created system that, when given external data, identifies patterns

through features to achieve classification on novel stimuli. Dieterrich and Shavlik, in their early influential

work on machine learning, a subcategory of artificial intelligence, compare a similar definition to one that

exists alongside the aforementioned definition: “[Artificial intelligence] can be described as the study of

biases” (Dietterich & Shavlik, 1990). This line of reasoning follows from the idea that any classification is

inherently biased, as any distinction requires an inequality of distribution between classes. The current

literature will not follow this interpretation of bias, also known as algorithmic bias (Danks & London, 2017),

though references to the relation between algorithmic bias explained in the current section and human bias

defined in the following section will be made throughout the research.

3: What is bias? Bias is a complicated term used in a multitude of ways across as well as within disciplines (Danks & London,

2017). In general, the term refers to an unequal distribution of attributes between classes. This definition

holds quite well amongst disciplines but is too unspecific to be used for different disciplines and situations.

Disciplines therefore make further subdivisions of bias such as: implicit and explicit bias in cognitive sciences

(Amodio & Mendoza, 2010), statistical and machine bias in computer science (Danks & London, 2017), or

cognitive and machine bias in philosophy (G. M. Johnson, 2018). The purpose of the current chapter is to

elaborate on the multiple uses of the term bias, and to derive a taxonomy relevant to the current study. The

following section will elaborate on the type of human cognitive function that are associated with negative

bias, which currently feeds into our artificial intelligence systems. Concurrently, a section will elaborate on

the use of bias in artificial intelligence literature, and state the definition of bias used in the current paper.

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Finally, a short section on bias from a philosophical account of bias, using multiple logic-based analysis, will

be used to elaborate on the specific of the current definition of bias.

3.1: Bias in human cognition Cognitive bias can be understood as a set of

heuristic tools employed by the brain to make

more sense of the world (Rosso, 2018). A simple

example would be the checker shadow illusion,

where our brain generalizes the luminescence of

a square according to the surrounding squares

and misclassifies the color due to generalization

(figure 4). Many such heuristic have been found in

the field of psychology, of which many are

translatable to artificial intelligence systems. In

the current paper, however, only biases related

to social situations will be considered. An

example would be to attribute a member of a

social category with a certain trait due to the

generalization of the group (e.g. a wealthy

individual is smarter than poor individuals).

Furthermore, the type of bias relevant to the current research is one which results in a negative general

outcome. These are outcomes that society deems unfair, ethically reprehensible, or counterproductive.

Biased hiring practices, considering education caliber (e.g. mathematics, arts history, etc.) can often be

considered a fair, ethically acceptable, and productive way to generalize towards a suitable candidate. Yet if

this same judgement is based on race, it would be considered unfair, ethically dubious, and unproductive.

This can be understood as a metric of relevance, where an individual’s generalization to a subgroup must be

relevant to the decision-making process. However, there are cases in which relevance to the decision-making

process might be subservient to the issue of protection of a subgroup. This is often not a straightforward

form of bias, but rather indirect bias of a subgroup. An example would be to increase insurance rates for

individuals living in high-crime neighborhoods. While this metric might be relevant to the decision-making

process, it does put an unfair burden on poor individuals, who tend to live in high-crime neighborhoods.

These latter cases are not clear cut types of negative social bias, and their relevance is often disagreed upon

in political and legal contexts (Kehl, Guo, & Kessler, 2017; Knight, 2017).

Finally, bias in the context of social cognition is generally split into implicit and explicit bias (Amodio &

Mendoza, 2010). This distinction can be understood as the level of conscious perception of the bias. Explicit

negative social biases are discriminatory tendencies consciously understood by the biased actor. Implicit

negative social biases are generalizations made cognitively that are discriminatory in nature but not

consciously perceived. An example of the latter is the well-researched implicit association effect, where

minority group are subconsciously associated with negative images and words (Amodio & Mendoza, 2010). In

Figure 4: Checker shadow illusion illustration. The grey hue in box A and box B are the exact same luminescence. This illusion is illustrative of a cognitive heuristic called light consistency (or

perceptual consistency), where observation is biased toward the contrast with surrounding perceptual objects.

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the current research, a focus is put on the effects of implicit social bias on artificial intelligence, where

subconscious discriminatory tendencies tend to feed into these systems. The effects of explicit social bias on

artificial intelligence is not as widespread, and currently a legal framework is already in place to prevent

explicit bias in artificial intelligence (Goodman & Flaxman, 2016; Kehl et al., 2017). Thus, the type of bias that

is of interest to the current study is: social in nature, results in a negative outcome, and is generally implicit

(for a summary of the relevant types of bias see: Kliegr, Bahník, & Fürnkranz, 2018).

Since the current research attempts to solve the issue of bias existent in artificial intelligence systems that

are caused by human cognitive bias, it can be argued that the source rather than the consequence should be

subject to change. It is therefore important to highlight the tenacity of human cognitive bias. Human bias in

general is an extremely useful tool, and generally functions aptly to navigate through a complex world

(Amodio & Mendoza, 2010). In fact, in a recent paper on the creation of artificial general intelligence (defined

as a true and full recreation of the human cognition), Potapov and Rodionov argue that social and ethical bias

is imperative to human cognition (Potapov & Rodionov, 2014). Indeed, neuropsychological research also

suggests social biases resist revision, as they are an integral part of human cognition (Amodio & Mendoza,

2010; G. M. Johnson, 2018).

Furthermore, social biases can be caused by long-term historical bias, as well as cumulative culture

experiences (Martin, Cunningham, Hutchison, Slessor, & Smith, 2017; Rosso, 2018). These implicit biases,

which often used to be explicit forms of negative bias, can still strongly influence current cognition. This

occurs as cultural expressions linger and evolve to fit a social narrative inside the current system, thus

morphing into implicit social understandings. Another reason that this negative bias is difficult to get rid of is

the lack of current political and commercial desire to do so (Knight, 2017). Training programs to reduce

negative implicit bias have been shown to be marginally effective, yet political actors (e.g. US legislative

branch) seem uninterested in legislating or promoting towards such successes (Knight, 2017).

As it is difficult to change innate cognitive bias mechanisms, it seems more reasonable to limit mechanical

systems from mimicking negative effects. Rather, artificial intelligence systems could be used to reduce the

negative effects of our cognitive biases (Nadella, 2018; Rosso, 2018).

3.2: Bias in machine cognition The earliest use of the term bias in the context of artificial intelligence was in 1980, used in an article on

contemporary software creation (Mitchell, 1980). In this influential paper, bias was described as: “…any basis

for choosing one generalization [hypothesis] over another, other than strict consistency with the observed

training instances”. The author argued that, if machine learning was to handle large sets of data, non-

representative biases will be needed to be included into machine learning algorithms. Essentially, Mitchell

argued for an introduction of human bias style generalization to artificial intelligence. This bias would make

classification (i.e. generalization) efficient and effective in terms of computational power as well as learning

curve (given enough data). Indeed, any learning algorithm needs to function on such biases in order to

generalize beyond the training data, in case the test data does not perfectly represent the training data

(Dietterich & Kong, 1995). Although the computational power and amount of available training data has

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increased exponentially since then, strong algorithmic biases are still the hallmark of effective and efficient

artificial intelligence (Barocas, Bradley, Honavar, & Provost, 2017).

Recently, researchers have advocated the use of bias in artificial intelligence to more realistically simulate

human intelligence (Potapov & Rodionov, 2014). This highlights the inherent nature of bias in artificial

intelligence system, yet it refers to an entirely different type of bias. The bias referred to in machine learning

can be understood as: “…an inductive bias that induces some sort of capacity control (i.e. restricts or

encourages predictors to be “simple” in some way), which in turn allows for generalization (Neyshabur,

Tomioka, & Srebro, 2014). Capacity control allows for an effective and efficient classification that resembles

human cognitive functioning (Araujo, 2004; Melita, Ganapathy, & Hailemariam, 2012).

“Weapons of Math Destruction” described the idea that negative implicit social bias (in the narrow definition

described in the section on human bias) has been feeding into algorithmic bias (in the definition given in the

above paragraphs) (O’Neil, 2016). The process by which this occurs is multifaceted (Van Dijk, 2012), where

multiple possible factors might influence bias in artificial intelligence (figure 1). Firstly, implicit human bias

might directly influence artificial intelligence by how algorithms are constructed by their creators (Shepperd,

Bowes, & Hall, 2014). Secondly, a lack of diversity in the creation of artificial intelligence systems might cause

negative biases not to be detected (Howard & Borenstein, 2017; Nadella, 2018; Rosso, 2018). Thirdly, a lack

of data might lead into suboptimal categorization for minority groups (Danks & London, 2017; Rajaraman,

2008). And finally, historical social bias - through intermediate variables (e.g. economical suppression of

African-Americans leading to wealth being correlated with race) – might skew training data to enforce

existing implicit biases (Chander, 2017; Danks & London, 2017).

a: recidivism models

The US legal system has been relying on recidivism models, artificial

intelligence systems that calculate the likelihood a criminal will re-commit

his/her crimes, in determining length of sentencing (a higher sentence is given to a fellow like to re-commit their crimes). While the model has

been found to operate more efficiently and effectively then human

actors, fear of discriminatory behavior have recently been found.

Research found that African-American individuals had a higher chance to be

misclassified as re-offenders than their white counterparts. Reversely, white individuals were more likely to misclassified as 'safe'. Importantly, no

feature of race was used (as this would be illegal), and differences between classes are likely due to proxy-attributes (figure 5 C2), like

arrest records.

b: Credit scoring

Credit scoring systems are artificial intelligence algorithms that

determine the likelihood of an individual to default on their loans. In Western countries, these scores are

involved in any large financial transaction, getting a mortgage,

buying a car, getting insurance, etc. Recent research found that poor

individuals, regardless of their financial past or presence, receive a

worse credit score than their wealthy counterpart. Credit agencies reacted

by mentioning the use of social metric in their algorithms, where family history and social associates are

considered to determine these credit score. It has been argued that the use

of this metric is in conflict with the notion of equality in opportunity (as a person cannot chose where he/she is

born), as well as the right to individualized treatment under the

law.

c: Google image recognition

A somewhat older example of negative bias been fed into artificial intelligence, is the case of Google's

image recognition algorithm classifying images of African-

American children as gorilla's. This instance, which was quickly corrected

by google, was one of the major triggers that led to the explosion of research into bias in algorithms. In

this case, a artificial intelligence system was trained to detect multiple

types of stimuli (e.g. humans, animals, etc.) using googles hyperlink

system (matching images to the words used to describe them). The

misclassification was likely caused by the historical racism existent in the data-base that is called the internet (figure 5 B3). Relatively, pictures of black people, compared to white

people, will be much more likely to be mislabel (by hand) thus leading to a

disparity in the training data.

Box 1: Examples of negatively biased artificial intelligence

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Many examples exist of how social bias has fed into artificial intelligence system (box 1). It is essential to

understand why these instances represent negative instances of bias, not just in the context of ethical

judgement, but in the context of artificial intelligence. Classification in the context of artificial intelligence

tries to predict the correct class of any individual instance as best as possible (Danks & London, 2017). If bias

leads to wrongful predictions, like in the case of artificial recidivism models in the US justice system (box 1a),

this is a failure both on an ethical, as well as a machine learning level. However, it is important to note that

artificial intelligence systems always operate on a notion of goal-directed behavior (i.e. maximizing a certain

predetermined value). These goals are often not in line with a larger concept of ‘fairness’, strived for in

society (box 1b). A possible answer to this would be to have goal-directed behavior be geared towards a

metric of ‘fairness’ (Binns, 2018). Unfortunately, optimizing a goal of ‘fairness’ often leads to negative bias in

other domains (Kleinberg, Mullainathan, & Raghavan, 2016). Possible answers to this problem will be

discussed in the recommendation section.

Outside of the scope of the current study would thus be bias as a consequence of unequal opportunity of

using artificial intelligence (Accenture, 2017; Furman et al., 2016), as well as bias that is caused by the

economical model in which artificial intelligence is used (O’Neil, 2016). Thus, the notion of negative bias that

feeds into machines endorsed in the current research relates to bias imbedded in created artificial

intelligence algorithms (figure 5). The following section will go into the more philosophical understanding of

the notion of bias.

A:

Classification

1.Bias in choice of what to classify

2.Lack of diversity in algorithmic coders

3.Lack of external validity of the classificiation question

B:

Data

1.Insufficient data to train complexity of subgroups

2.Lack in representation of minority groups

3.Historical inequality due to inaccesiblity of technology

C:

Features

1.Direct use of 'protected attributes' as informative features

2.Use of proxy attributes as informative features

3.Lack of transparency due to feature complexity

4.Inclusion of irrelevant features

D:

Model

1.Lack of transparency due to model complexity

2.Individual model limitations for multiclass corrections

3.lack of questionability of output

4.Lack of distinction between algorithmic bias and negative bias

Possible ways negative bias is introduced in artificial intelligence

Figure 5: distinctive ways in which negative social bias is fed into algorithmic bias, divided into the four stages of artificial intelligence creation shown in figure 2

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3.3: Bias in logic and philosophy As explained in the previous section, bias in artificial intelligence is an inherent property, rather than a

normative aspect. It is thus important to highlight in what way, if any, artificial intelligence can truly have

‘negative’ bias. This section will go into the ethical machine (Anderson & Anderson, 2007) by considering why

it is important to study ethics in artificial intelligence. This will be done by considering philosophical notions

of ‘negative’ bias relevant to artificial intelligence, and by considering proposed logical frameworks for

viewing ethics in artificial intelligence. The question of whether artificial intelligence systems can possibly be

ethical is outside of the scope of the current research, if answerable at all.

Machine ethics can be considered a sub-discipline within the philosophical query of ethics (Anderson &

Anderson, 2007). In the early 2000s, when artificial intelligence systems were first being adopted into

commercial practice, researchers working in various areas started considering the implication of machines

playing a larger role in peoples lives. While considerations of ethical implication of novel technology was not

new (e.g. the industrial revolution), the difficulty in understanding the technology and the resemblance to

human decision making posed new issues (Gershgorn, 2018). In a foundational document on machine ethics,

Moor highlights the need for a distinction between different levels of ethics in machine learning: general

ethical machines, explicit ethical machines, implicit ethical machines, and non-ethical machines (Moor, 2006).

This distinction is derived from older notions of ‘ethical agents’, which is then mapped unto artificial

intelligence. General ethical machines would be considered complete ethical agents, similar to ethical

humans (Moor, 2006). Explicit ethical machines are artificial intelligence systems that are able to create and

act upon an internal ethical concept (i.e. create a concept of ‘good’). Implicit ethical machines are artificial

intelligence systems which have an externally implemented concepts of morality (e.g. not hurting humans is

‘good’). Finally, non-ethical machines are systems which do not take ethics into consideration at all (e.g.

interactive terminal for ordering in McDonald’s).

Multiple researchers have argued that, at minimum, implicitly ethical machines should be strived for when

making technology. “Weapons of Math Destruction” shows that any artificial intelligence system can have

ethical implications, purely due to the inherent properties of creating such systems (O’Neil, 2016). It is

therefore important to strive for a constant consideration of ethics, to minimalize negative bias feeding into

artificial intelligence (Anderson & Anderson, 2007; Moor, 2006). Furthermore, explicit ethical agents might be

preferable over implicit ethical agents, as externally implemented ethical rules might conflict internally, as

well as lack consideration of other ethical aspects (Kleinberg et al., 2016).

The reason why this emphasis is placed on the introduction of implicit ethics in machines is the relative

simplicity with which artificial intelligence systems might display ethical behavior. In a reinterpretation of

Braitenberg’s vehicles, Headleand and Teahan showed how little input a machine has to have in order for it

to display ethical behavior, as well as change its behavior with slight changes to the input (Headleand &

Teahan, 2016). Indeed, much research has shown that slight changes in data input, feature selection, and

output parameters can have drastic ethical implication on machine systems (Danks & London, 2017;

Rajaraman, 2008).

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The question of how to implement ethical judgement into artificial intelligence shall be considered in the

technical solution section, however, it is important to consider what ethical framework should be

implemented. Reuben Binns, an Oxford professor of Philosophy, notes the importance for researchers in

machine ethics to consider political philosophical frameworks (Binns, 2018). Binns notes that competing

understandings of for example utilitarianism, can lead to entirely different implementation of an implicitly

ethical machine. The judgement of what philosophical framework is best is outside of the scope of this

research. However, in all presented solutions it should be considered that implementation might rely strongly

on what notion of ethics is used.

Another relevant philosophical aspect is the logical framework in which to view issues of bias in artificial

intelligence. Over the last decade, multiple approaches have been proposed for how to logically frame bias in

machine learning. Traditional conditional logic has been used to distinguish types of bias in artificial

intelligence, which allows for a comprehensive taxonomy of bias specific to artificial intelligence (Kleinberg et

al., 2016). Hegelian dialectic type counterfactual logic has been proposed to distinguish negative bias in

artificial intelligence to standard statistical bias present in artificial intelligence (Kusner, Loftus, Russell, &

Silva, 2017). This type of logic allows for a consideration of ‘fairness’ not from an absolute point, but rather as

a relative gain compared to the lost classification function. Finally, a representational logic approach has

been taken to compare bias in humans and bias in machines (G. M. Johnson, 2018). This novel approach

makes it easier to understand the relationship of bias, and how bias in both can help understanding in the

other domain.

The philosophical concepts and logical frameworks should not be considered as solution on their own, yet

they are essential to take into consideration when evaluating the proposed solution. Comparisons between

any following solutions (e.g. algorithmic audit vs algorithmic transparency) should be considered from such

philosophical standpoints. As much as possible, the following section will be abetted with the

abovementioned philosophical and logical frameworks to place solutions into a larger context.

4.1: Technical solutions Braitenberg vessels are a thought experiment created by Headleand and Teahan in their recent article on

ethical machines (Headleand & Teahan, 2016). A play on Braitenberg’s vehicles, vessels are simple machines

that display different ethical behaviors (e.g. egoistic and altruistic) as a result of very simple changes in their

mechanism (figure 6). While the simplicity of Braintenberg’s vessels does not easily translate to complex

artificial intelligence, they do serve as an example of how technical changes can lead to alternate ethical

behavior. Technical changes to artificial intelligence algorithms can occur at any stage of the creation process.

The previously proposed solutions will be discussed in the order in which choices are generally made when

creating artificial intelligence systems: choice of classification, data selection, feature selection, and model

choice.

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4.1.1: Classification choice Choice of classification should be interpreted as the question which the artificial intelligence system will ask

itself (e.g. who will recede back into crime after their sentence (box1a)). While not yet technical

implementation of the algorithms, it is highly determinative for what technical choices will be made during

the process (figure 5 A). External variables that have been shown to introduce bias in choice of classification

are experience of the researchers (Shepperd et al., 2014) as well as diversity of the researchers (figure 5 A2,

Crawford, 2018; Reese, 2016). Besides correcting for these by changing hiring practices (e.g. hiring a more

diverse research team), an important technical method to reduce such introduction of bias has recently been

introduced. Kusner and colleagues created algorithms that check the classification against multiple general

ethical testing procedures, termed counterfactual algorithms (Kusner et al., 2017). These algorithms allow for

researchers to test their artificial intelligence against a set of predefined question (e.g. would the

classification be the same if the subject were part of a minority group) which were specifically created by a

diverse, and experienced group of researchers (figure 5 A1&A2). It does need a specific measurement in the

data which relates to protected attributes (e.g. African American, figure 5 C1). Unfortunately, this data in not

always available, thus making counterfactual testing impossible. Also, other researchers have shown that this

technique falls short in cases where the real distribution of groups is not equal, which is often the case (figure

5 A3, Kleinberg et al., 2016).

4.1.2: Data selection In “Weapons of Math Destruction”, O’Neil mainly points towards data as the cause of bias introduction in

artificial intelligence systems (O’Neil, 2016). This bias can be due to choices made in which data to use

(Tantithamthavorn, McIntosh, Hassan, & Matsumoto, 2016), as well as bias that is the cause of historical

inequality (figure 7, Furman et al., 2016; Van Dijk, 2012). The simplest approach to this problem would be to

actively rectify data-sets to be representative (figure 5 B2). Unfortunately, data-sets are often too big

(Howard & Borenstein, 2017), and interpretability of representativeness too difficult (Lipton, 2016) to apply

this method to most artificial intelligence systems. Doing efficiency testing using multiple different data-sets

has been proposed as a possible solution, which could be done in combination with counterfactual testing

(Tantithamthavorn et al., 2016).

Figure 6: Braitenberg vessel adopted from Headleand & Teahan, 2016. A Vessel approaching a resource. (r) is the range at which the resource can be used at maximum efficiency. (R) is the maximum range the Vessel could be from the resource and still

charge. (d) is the current distance of the Vessel from the resource. This vessel has a decision function where (d) and (r) are taken as features to classify whether to move or to stay still. This ‘egoistic’ vessel can easily be modified to a ‘altruistic’ vessel by adding

feature (e), which considers the surrounding low-energy vessels (so as to move away to make room near the resource). This can be taken as an example of a technical implementation of ethical behavior at the level of features (figure 5C).

13

A possibly effective and simpler method that has been proposed is to add relevant training data indefinitely,

specifically data that corrects for possible found bias (figure 5 B1, Rajaraman, 2008). This approach has the

added benefit of generally improving classification, much more than changing the data-set would. However,

adding enough data can be bothersome in artificial intelligence systems that use large datasets, and

impossible in algorithms that use cloud-based data-services (Howard & Borenstein, 2017). This technical

solution can work symbiotically with creating large-scale open source data, which will be discussed in the

transparency section (Sherman, 2018).

4.1.3: Feature selections Feature selection refers to the attributes of the data which will be used for classification. Highly informative

features (as related to the classification question) should be used to obtain a good and representative

classification (figure 5 C4). Using a

large number of features will

generally lead to overfitting (i.e.

making the classifier too specific to

the training data), while using a very

narrow number of features will lead

to underfitting (Neyshabur et al.,

2014). Both supervised and

unsupervised learning algorithms

can suffer from bias introduction

through feature selection (Kliegr et

al., 2018). Two important technical

solutions have been posed to solve

these issues.

Firstly, Neyshabur and colleagues

argued that, counterintuitively,

selecting a large number of features

might alleviate bias introduction.

They researched the effect of

capacity control (number of features) on bias in artificial intelligence systems and found that it was norm

factorization (i.e. the length and complexity of the decision function) that caused overfitting. They mention

that feature quantity, as long as the features are relevant and easily interpretable for the classification (figure

5 C4), can improve classification results while also reducing bias in different classes (Neyshabur et al., 2014).

Unfortunately, capacity control and norm factorization are often related, as increased amounts of features

generally lead to more complex decision functions (Dougherty, 2013).

Secondly, Kliegr and colleagues, in a large-scale study on the different cognitive biases that play into artificial

intelligence bias, note the importance of the reliability of features (Kliegr et al., 2018). Reliability, in this

context, refers to the amount of predictive power a single feature holds when used without other features.

Figure 7: model of the appropriation of technology. Historical inequalities lead to less physical and material access, which results in lower skill in suppressed minority groups as well as lower representation of

diversity in the techology. As an example, Afro-Americans have lower access to technology, which leads to lack of diversity in the google directory of images, resulting in misclassification of image recognition

technology (box1c)

Historical bias towards minority groups

Inequal access to technology

Lack of diversity in technology

Lack of minority

representation for training

data

Poor technology

performance for minority

groups

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While this solution was mainly framed as an active human debiasing technique, it is important to note the

technical method which would be used to derive a human interpretable choice. A pruning technique is used

to derive the most reliable features, reducing the amount of features by removing those that have the

smallest impact term in the decision function (Lakkaraju, Bach, & Jure, 2016). Such pruning techniques are

very useful in tandem with a human observer (figure 5 C3 & C4), as non-sensible features (e.g. using race

when determining credit scores) can be taken out, while maintaining relevant highly reliable features.

4.1.4: Model choice The chosen model in any artificial intelligence system has massive consequences for the resulting

classification scheme, as well as the possible bias that are fed into the system (Dougherty, 2013; Shepperd et

al., 2014). Choosing which model (e.g. k nearest neighbor, support vector machine, etc.), as well as how to

implement the model, can have bias feeding into the system. The following technical solutions all relate to

choosing models, as well as how to implement them.

The only completely novel model that has been proposed in the context of bias prevention is the Input Causal

Model (Kusner et al., 2017). This model, created by research at the Alan Turing Institute, is a methodological

implementation of the previously mentioned concept of counterfactual fairness. The model can be initialized

as a standard support vector machine, a simple machine learning classifier, with specialized weights for

chosen protected attributes (Shadowen, 2017). In practice, this allows for a standard usage of artificial

intelligence, with the added benefit of having an automated reduction of negative bias (Kusner et al., 2017).

A complete expansion on how this is implemented is beyond the scope of the current article, but in

summary: an algorithm called FairLearning, which compares the resulting classification to counterfactual

examples where only the protected attributes were changed (but not the relevant features that determine

the classification criterium, figure 5 C1 & D2). This recently proposed solution has not yet gained much

attention, and further testing will be needed to assess the effectiveness of these types of model for reduction

of bias.

Another solution that has been proposed, is the use of more interpretable models so that transparency can

be increased (DARPA, 2016; Kliegr et al., 2018). While these types of solutions will be individually discussed in

a later section, it is important to note the technical aspect of this. In a recent paper examining the technical

relevance of models that are supposedly more interpretable it was found that no such differentiation

currently exists (figure 5 D4, Lipton, 2016). Lipton mentioned that supposed interpretable models (e.g. k

nearest neighbors, support vector machines, etc.) often use highly complex and abstract features when

considering the classification criterium (figure 5 D1). Models that are supposedly non-interpretable (e.g.

neural networks, deep learning models, etc.) on the other hand, often have feature inputs which can be

clearly understood, although the process by which they are implemented in the decision criterium is more

obscure (figure 5 D3). Lipton’s research points toward a possible solution where a simple model could

potentially be interpretable, which allows for transparency, if the norm factorization is limited and features

are straightforward measures relevant to the classification (Lipton, 2016; Neyshabur et al., 2014).

Another important consideration in any model that will try to mend the effects of bias in machine learning, is

how the model represents bias internally. Artificial intelligence, as has previously been mentioned, relies on

15

the existence of statistical bias to do classification. It is

therefore important to internally differentiate negative

bias from bias relevant to the data (figure 5 D4).

Multiple proposals for how to implement this have been

done throughout the last couple of decades, yet special

emphasis has been put on one solution in the context of

bias prevention (Shadowen, 2017). Error-corrected

output coding (ECOC), an added implementation of a

decision tree model working synchronous to any

artificial intelligence model, has been shown to reduce

overall classification error (Dietterich & Kong, 1995).

While this is an older method of reducing error in

classification, it has recently been shown to effectively

reduce negative bias when specific bias correcting

hypotheses are implemented for the decision tree

model (figure 5 A3 & D2). Unfortunately, current

literature only finds success in highly specified cases,

and no information is known on how transferable this

method is across different models and classification

problems (Lipton, 2016; Shadowen, 2017).

ECOC methods of measuring bias in classification

schemes can be greatly complemented by a recent

solution for removal of known biases. In a cooperative

effort between Georgia Institute of Technology and

Microsoft, Howard and colleagues proposed a hierarchical classification system to account for known biases

(Howard et al., 2017). The hierarchical model is built to reconsider instances where a minority group (or a

group with protected attributes) gets classified into the most similar majority group, with added weight for

the feature that would classify into the minority class specifically (figure 5 D2). This 2nd layer hierarchy is then

complemented with a 3rd layer, which reconsiders cases where the classification switched from minority to

majority class, according to a classification where the minority group is considered as being grouped with a

dissimilar majority (figure 8). While they proposed using simple support vector machine classifiers for both

structures, others have proposed using classifiers that are problem specific to increase the effectiveness of

this method (Lipton, 2016; Shadowen, 2017). Unfortunately, hierarchical models of this kind suffer from

having to know the bias a priori. Furthermore, this method relies strongly on minority and majority group to

be highly similar, and translatable (i.e. facial muscles used in emotional expression), which is not the case in

most forms of bias (figure 5 B2). This method could, however, be very promising in conjuncture with other

methods that compensate for these flaws.

Finally, an as of yet unexplored solution which has been proposed in the literature, is the introduction of

randomness to artificial intelligence systems (C. G. Johnson, 2001; Shadowen, 2017). While this method can

Figure 8: Visual representation of the hierarchical correct model adopted from Howard et al., 2017. The standard classfication (On-Line Generalized

Classifier) is supported by a 2nd hierarchy SVM, which reclassified the cases classified as a majority case most similar to a minority group with a bias towards the minority. The 3rd hierarchy SVM reclassifies all altered instances into both groups, now without bias. This hierarchical model

resulted in a 17.3% improval of the classification in general, and a 41.5% increase in correct minority group classification.

16

be applicable only in cases where non-specificity is desirable (e.g. bias in advertisement), it can potentially be

extremely useful. The use of randomness factors in artificial intelligence models is not a novel concept

(Araujo, 2004). Genetic algorithms, models that use ‘mutations’ (i.e. randomness over generations), have

been shown to be highly effective in certain classification cases where diverse outputs are desirable (C. G.

Johnson, 2001; Melita et al., 2012). While the use of the term diverse is not contextual to social diversity, it

has been proposed as a possible solution for creating unbiased search results in web mining (Melita et al.,

2012). This highly specific example does not transfer directly onto the larger issue of bias in artificial

intelligence, thus further research will be needed to assess the feasibility of using such methods.

4.2: Commercial solutions While technical solutions try to solve the problem of bias in artificial intelligence at its core, it is important to

highlight the applicability of such solutions in the commercial market. The successful implementation of

solutions often hinges on their practicality. Many methods cause a reduction in classification accuracy (e.g.

Howard et al., 2017), thus leading to a potential degradation of the performance of artificial intelligence

systems. While there are strong arguments to be made for why this trade-off would be ethical (Gordon-

Murnane, 2018; O’Neil, 2017), commercial enterprises do not always function in this manner (Spielkamp,

2017). As such the commercial intricacies to the problem of bias in machine learning will be highlighted, as

well as the proposed solutions.

Firstly, it is important to note that the commercial world has changed its tone with regards to this problem

over the past couple of years. In a 2013 symposium on novel techniques and technologies in the field of

electrical engineering, artificial intelligence systems were named as the key future technology relevant for

the commercial world (Popescu & Popescu, 2013). This document only briefly mentioned the possibility of

bias feeding into artificial intelligence systems, though this was immediately countered by the possibility of

the spread of wealth that artificial intelligence could bring. Only five years later, in a review on artificial

intelligence and business, the essential problem of bias in artificial intelligence was highlighted (Coval, 2018;

Rockwood, 2018). This occurs because on the long-term, these systems lead to an increase performance in

the commercial market, which is untenable if negative bias is maintained and amplified (figure 5 A1). O’Neil

also mentions this issue in “Weapons of Math Destruction”, where the example of the loan industry is used,

which increases its market share as credit safe individuals which have been excluded from the market are

introduced to the system (O’Neil, 2016).

In this environment of increased awareness and relevance of the problem, multiple organizations have

sprung up specifically to deal with the issue of bias in artificial intelligence. The most important of these is a

research center at the University of New York called AI-Now (AI Now, 2017; Gershgorn, 2018). This research

agency hosts a multidisciplinary academic staff, which focusses on solving the issue of bias in artificial

intelligence (Gordon-Murnane, 2018). Though created very recently, AI-Now has already published multiple

articles which proliferate the contentiousness of the problem (figure 5 A1), as well as promote research on

the subject. They have also initiated research projects with the Alan Turing Institute, as well as big companies

like Microsoft (AI Now, 2017; Nadella, 2018).

17

Another somewhat older company dedicated to reducing negative bias in artificial intelligence is the Fairness,

Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning (FATML) organization (FATML, 2018). This organization

has been working on bringing together technicians and researchers to work on the issue of bias in artificial

intelligence since 2014. Every year they host a hackathon-like event, which brings together diverse groups of

computer scientists to work on this issue (figure 5 A2). This event has also spawned smaller new companies

which specialize in bias prevention in artificial intelligence. One example that has gained traction due to its

political advocacy is the 2017 company AlgorithWatch (Spielkamp, 2017).

The importance of such commercial advocacy groups is highlighted in a recent paper on possible political

solutions for the problem of bias in artificial intelligence (Wachter, Mittelstadt, & Floridi, 2017). Wachter and

colleagues found that all current political frameworks still allow for bias to be fed into the system unchecked.

They mention that any effective solutions will have to come from the commercial world, as big companies

generally operate across borders, thus making national legislation ineffective. Fortunately, big companies in

the tech industry have recently emphasized their willingness to find a solution to the problem of bias in

artificial intelligence (figure 2), though no concrete plans have been formed as of yet (Nadella, 2018).

It is also important to highlight the interplay of commercial and governmental institutions, as governmental

institutions have shown interest in outsourcing the creation of possible solutions to this problem (Gordon-

Murnane, 2018). One such initiative is the recent Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) project by the

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, 2016). This project aims to improve the transparency

of artificial intelligence systems (figure 5 C3 & D1), as well as to reduce possible human bias effects (mostly

due to the inability to understand artificial intelligence decision making criteria). Interestingly, DARPA also

hired a group of specialized cognitive scientists for this project, highlighting the importance of understanding

bias in this endeavor. While the project is currently classified, possible solutions could become major

contributors in reducing bias in artificial intelligence systems at large (Gordon-Murnane, 2018). Similarly,

other governmental initiatives focused on promoting bias prevention in artificial intelligence might indirectly

spawn solution in the commercial world (e.g. STEM-C, 2018)

Finally, a recent article on artificial intelligence in human resources highlights some interesting commercial

solutions to the problem of bias in artificial intelligence (Rockwood, 2018). While these solutions have not

been technically implemented, they include multiple conceptual solutions which might become important in

specific commercial settings. An example of this would be to use gamification in hiring practices (Rockwood,

2018). Artificial intelligence systems are already being used to determine qualified candidates, often leading

to biased classification due to historical bias feeding into the data (O’Neil, 2016). The gamification of this

process (making applicants play through games which mimic on the job scenarios) could level the playing

field (figure 5 B3), and focus purely on qualifications as determined by the game scenarios. Further research

is needed in order to assess the success and feasibility of such solutions.

4.3: Political solutions Political solutions to the problem of bias in artificial intelligence have developed over the last decade

(Goodman & Flaxman, 2016). Political solutions tend to be imperfect as legal frameworks always lag behind

technological developments and are often followed only to a limited degree (Wachter et al., 2017).

18

Furthermore, political frameworks tend to rectify the worst offenses through legislation and can work toward

improvement via government funding of certain projects. The following paragraphs will outline the current

legal and political situation, after which a discussion of solutions that are not yet implemented. It is important

to note that the following literature focusses specifically on Western countries, due to the scope of the

current article as well as the language barrier that limits translation of frameworks from other countries.

Two important documents that outlined the relevance of artificial intelligence and the bias that might feed

into these systems are The Future of AI, and Advances in Artificial Intelligence (Furman et al., 2016). Both

documents, created during the Obama Administration, stated the importance of active promotion and

regulation of artificial intelligence system, highlighting both the promise and the dangers of the technology.

While the legality of these system was left for the court to decide (Kehl et al., 2017), multiple directives have

allowed for an increase in research funding into this issue (DARPA, 2016; Furman et al., 2016). After the

Obama Administration left office, such directives have been canceled, and no new legislation has replaced it.

In an interview with Catherine O’Neil, she mentioned that in the Trump Administration: “The Office of

Science and Technology Policy is no longer actively engaged in AI policy- or much of anything according to

their website” (Knight, 2017). The American courts have recently seen a few cases where the use of artificial

intelligence systems was challenged, which set legal precedent (Kehl et al., 2017). Especially the case of State

of Wisconsin vs. Loomis has been very influential in this matter. In this case, an inmate who received a longer

sentence due to the COMPAS recidivism model (box1a) challenged the state’s use of this system. The case

ended in a rejection of the appeal by Mr. Loomis, though the court did mention that future use of Artificial

Intelligence by the government should be done with greater transparency. This case set the precedent for

multiple other cases, which have generally ruled in favor of continued use of artificial intelligence.

The European Union has chosen to actively legislate against bias in artificial intelligence system. In an update

to the 1995 Data Protection Directive, an EU agreement to nationally legislate bias that is caused by

computerized systems, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) seeks to actively legislate abuses of

artificial intelligence system across borders (Goodman & Flaxman, 2016). Enshrined in this regulation is the so

called “right to explanation”, a right of individuals to challenge the use of artificial intelligence (figure 5 D3).

While this political framework is groundbreaking as the first cross-border artificial intelligence regulation

worldwide, many critics have pointed out some fundamental flaws. In a breakdown of the relevant articles of

the agreement, Wachter and colleagues found that, at most, the regulation allows for a “right to be

informed”. This right is a mere shadow of what others have lauded as a “right to explanation”, where

individuals can only actively pursue information on how artificial intelligence works (figure 5 C3). This leaves

individuals or groups that are the subject to bias in artificial intelligence powerless when pursuing legal action

(Wachter et al., 2017). No other commonly used frameworks for bias in artificial intelligence currently exist in

the western world, though some governmental structures, like the UK House of Lords, have recently

announced that national legislation can soon be expected (Daley, 2018).

The intent of giving a “right to explanation” has been a hallmark of many proposed solutions that are political

in nature. Unfortunately, this right is often in conflict with copyright laws, where companies that create and

employ artificial intelligence algorithms have a right to protect their intellectual property. Wachter and

colleagues noted this as one of the main reasons why the GDPR was altered to limit the power of individuals

19

to challenge artificial intelligence classification (Wachter et al., 2017). Shortly after this criticism was levied, a

novel idea was posed to circumvent this issue, the idea of Affirmative Algorithmic Audit (Chander, 2017). This

proposed legal tool would allow individuals to audit the output of information of artificial intelligence

systems (figure 5 D3), much in the same way audits function in the commercial sector. While this does not

infringe on copyright laws, as no internal algorithmic function must be displayed, it does allow individuals to

find out what the range and classes of classification are that are being employed by the system. Other

authors have criticized this concept, as output tends to be difficult to interpret (Kliegr et al., 2018), and might

be subject to reverse engineering (Howard et al., 2017).

Other political solutions involve the promotion of diverse research groups (Barocas et al., 2017), international

cooperation in research and development of artificial intelligence (Accenture, 2017), increase of in-house

human auditors of artificial intelligence systems (Nonnecke et al., 2017), and the creation of public sector

data-bases which can be used as training data for artificial intelligence systems (Accenture, 2017). These

solutions would all fall within the category of non-legislative affirmative action, and are thought to enhance

possible technical solutions, and speed up the possibility of finding novel solutions to the problem of bias in

artificial intelligence (figure 5 A1 & A2).

4.4: Transparency solutions The concept of transparency has been pervasive throughout the previous chapters in the creation of

transparent models (Neyshabur et al., 2014), the advocacy groups working for increased transparency in

machine learning (AI Now, 2017; FATML, 2018), as well as the political concept of Affirmative Algorithmic

Audit (Chander, 2017). Indeed, the need for transparency is generally seen as the most important first step to

solve the problem of bias in artificial intelligence (Barocas et al., 2017; Reese, 2016; Shadowen, 2017). Yet

criticism has been levied at this call for as transparency because it is believed by some to be technically

untenable (Lipton, 2016) and conflicts with notions of fairness in technology (Kleinberg et al., 2016). This

section will discuss what concept of transparency is relevant in weeding out bias in artificial intelligence.

Also, several proposals for implementing more transparent artificial intelligence practices are discussed.

In his recent work on model interpretability, Lipton notes the lack of a formalized technical definition of the

term transparency (Lipton, 2016). Transparency is often interpreted as the opposite of opaqueness or

informally ‘blackbox-ness’. Lipton notes that this definition lacks understanding of the goal of transparency in

the context of artificial intelligence. In his formalization of interpretability, and its reliance on transparency,

Lipton notes five general goals of transparency in artificial intelligence: trust in the results, understanding of

causality in the model, transferability of training examples into novel test examples, informativeness of the

outputs, and the ability to make fair and ethical decisions (Lipton, 2016). With these five goals in mind, a

distinction is made between a formalized understanding of transparency and post-hoc interpretations.

Transparency is further subdivided between: simulatability (i.e. complexity of the decision function),

decomposability (i.e. intelligibility of the parameters), and algorithmic transparency (i.e. algorithmic

complexity of the model). Post-hoc interpretation can also be further subdivided, though all can be

understood as metrics of human understanding (Lipton, 2016).

20

This formalized definition was used to explicate the idea that some ‘simpler’ models (e.g. k-nearest

neighbors) are more transparent than ‘complex’ models (e.g. deep neural networks). However, this definition

can also be used to understand proposed solutions on transparency (figure 5 C3), as some fall into the

category of post-hoc interpretations (figure 5 D3), whereas other can be classified as one of the

subcategories of formalized transparency. DARPA’s project on transparent artificial intelligence focused on

the technical implementation of explainable models (i.e. algorithmic transparency solutions), as well as using

a cognitive psychologist to review visual aids that are used in these models (i.e. post-hoc interpretations). The

following solutions will be discussed in this categorization.

One decomposability solution suggested by Barocas and colleagues is the use of decoding of features from

existing artificial intelligence classifiers (Barocas et al., 2017). They note that, while not possible in certain

deep learning models, many artificial intelligence systems will have straightforward weighted features.

Labeling these features and then doing data-collection with explicit instruction on what feature it would have

an influence on (post-hoc interpretation) would allow for more transparency (figure 5 C3). For models that

explicitly do not allow for a direct understanding of feature effects, like neural networks, top-level feature

input should be explicitly stated for the individual that is subject to classification (Barocas et al., 2017). Other

authors have stated that this simple solution is often untenable, as this would allow for ‘gaming of the

system’, where individuals will alter their behavior according to the effect it will have on the artificial

intelligence system (Kleinberg et al., 2016; Shadowen, 2017)

A post-hoc interpretation suggestion that has also been suggested regarding feature sets in artificial

intelligence, is the order in which they are presented to the programmer. In a long review on cognitive biases

and how they form bias in artificial intelligence, Kliegr and colleagues suggested multiple post-hoc

interpretation suggestions regarding the visualization of artificial intelligence systems (Kliegr et al., 2018).

Amongst these, the presentation of features by order of strength (figure 5 C3), a metric definable by the

confidence interval of individual features in a test-set, seems most promising. Confidence intervals in artificial

intelligence testing (a tool for algorithmic transparency) has not been proposed in this manner. No

conceptual understanding of how these confidence intervals should affect feature choice is made, yet it is

suggested to serve as a debiasing technique in that it allows programmers to directly value the relevance of

features (Kliegr et al., 2018).

Another interesting decomposability solution is the use of open source in artificial intelligence. Open source

is a concept familiar to most computer scientists. The online availability of algorithms and data is widespread

with modules like scikit-learn and DeepXplore being important tools used in many artificial intelligence

systems. A recent article in a magazine specifically designed for computer scientists mentioned the creation

and proliferation of open source data sets, and ‘stress-testing’ tools (Sherman, 2018). This would allow

companies to have free, easily accessible tools to test their models for possible bias that feeds into the

system. It is further mentioned that artificial intelligence systems could mention on what open source data

the system was tested, and whether it has been tested by online tools. This would offer legitimacy to the

created artificial intelligence system, and could even be an easy tool for legislation (Sherman, 2018).

21

Another interesting post-hoc interpretation solution (although it is applied before algorithmic

implementation rather than post implementation) posed by Howard and Borenstein suggests the radical

concept of community involvement in artificial intelligence creation (Howard & Borenstein, 2017). They

propose that the involvement of relevant stakeholders in any classification problem (e.g. inmates in the

recidivism case (box1a)) should be an essential part of artificial intelligence programming (figure 5 A3). This

should be done in combination with the encouragement of creating multidisciplinary teams (figure 5 A2),

which involve specialists in the field of implicit biases research. Translatability of the process of artificial

intelligence creation should allow for increased trust and understanding in the underlying system (figure 5

D3). Yet this radical democratized idea of a system which is strongly capitalistic seems untenable. However,

other research has already pointed toward this concept as a possible solution for governmentally supported

artificial intelligence systems (Accenture, 2017; Nonnecke et al., 2017).

In fact, an extreme view on governmental use of artificial intelligence systems is that they should only be

adopted if they include some form of the abovementioned transparency criteria (Kehl et al., 2017). This view

is peddled by, amongst others, Priscilla Guo, a researcher that played a key part in revealing the effect of

social bias in artificial intelligence used in the US criminal justice system. In a paper on the use of algorithms

in the criminal justice system, Guo and colleagues note the absolute disconnect between the opaqueness of

artificial intelligence and the concept of good governance and related criminal justice. While this view is

generally seen as quite extreme, it is good to note the inherent incompatibility between opacity of artificial

intelligence and transparent governance.

5: Discussion This paper has highlighted solutions at different levels of the problem of implicit negative social bias being

fed into algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence. Technical solutions try to solve this problem by changing the

nature of algorithmic bias or implementing algorithmic fail-safes to correct any found bias. Commercial

solutions focus on spreading awareness of the problem, and research and development. Political solutions

determine the legality of existing artificial intelligence and serve to promote and direct research efforts.

Finally, transparency solutions consider the issue of opaqueness in artificial intelligence, as ethical

consideration preclude a solid understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

When considering the effectiveness of any proposed solution, it is important to consider how this solution

relates to other fields (figure 2). Technical implementation must be commercially desirable in order to be

successfully implemented, which precludes the spread of awareness. Commercial efforts in this field often

rely strongly on governmental support, in financial terms as well as in validation. Increasing transparency in

artificial intelligence will only be possible through technical innovation and can reinforce efforts in all other

categories. Strength of proposed solutions thus lie in the synthesis with other solutions, rather than just their

individual feasibility, which have been discussed in previous sections.

In relation to this concept of synthesis importance, it is important to note that no the scope of the current

article is limited by the chosen actor fields (e.g. commercial). The current research focused on all levels of

actors which have a clear effect on artificial intelligence algorithm creation (figure 2). Further research,

22

however, should focus on a larger scope of involved actors (e.g. educational institutions) which indirectly

influence bias introduction in artificial intelligence (figure 9). No extensive scientific literature currently exist

on the effects of such non-technical actors on bias in artificial intelligence (O’Neil, 2016; Van Dijk, 2012).

Figure 9: sectors which could influence the negative social bias feeding into artificial intelligence systems. Four of the above shown topics have been discussed in the current paper, other sectors might be explored to elaborate on the non-technical solutions to this problem

Besides particular actors which could be researched in the context of bias in artificial intelligence, further

analysis should be done on the measures of legality, accountability, and scope of bias in artificial intelligence.

Much research has been done on a multitude of examples in which bias is fed into artificial intelligence

systems (O’Neil, 2016; Reese, 2016; Spielkamp, 2017). No academic work, however, exist on the extent to

which negative bias plays a role into people’s day to day life. This type of work is extremely difficult, as most

everyday artificial intelligence systems are highly protected by copyright laws (Coval, 2018), it is highly

important to map this. Legality has been discussed in the current paper, however, the abovementioned EU

and US legislations are as for yet contended and seemingly unfinished. Finally, accountability of bias in

artificial intelligence will become increasingly important as this issue becomes more well understood. This is

important both in the context of legality, as well as to determine who should finance possible research into

further solutions. The focus of the current research was on the feasibility and effectiveness of the current

proposed solutions, which could inform further research which expands on this limited scope.

5.1: Prescription for future action Out of all solutions mentioned in the previous sections, one clearly stands out: the use of open source

platforms. Open source algorithm platforms like the Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox in Matlab and

Scikit-learn in python have been the essential driver between the fast proliferation of artificial intelligence in

multiple sectors of society. These easily accessible, free, and well-documented data-tools have allowed many

programmers and companies to implement and develop artificial intelligence systems in-house. This trend

will likely continue, as the number of individuals capable of using such tools in fast increasing. The use of

open source toolboxes is thus a tried and tested method in this field, both commercially and technically.

AI

Technical

Commerical

Political

LegalEducational

Economic

...

23

This study advocates the immediate creation of an open source toolbox that includes three sets of tools for

programmers to use in artificial intelligence creation: tools to increase transparency, data sets, and tools

which eliminate negative social bias (figure 10). Multiple tenable technical solutions to the problem of

opaqueness in artificial intelligence programming have been identified. Tenable tools that allow the

programmer to better understand his or her choices include: the FairLearning algorithm (Kusner et al., 2017),

Feature pruning (Lakkaraju et al., 2016) and modern implementations of Error-Corrected Output Coding

(Dietterich & Kong, 1995; Shadowen, 2017). These tools could be easily implemented in an add-on to existing

machine learning toolboxes, which would allow programmers to consider the choices that they make and

how it affects the algorithmic bias in their systems.

The inclusion of large open source data-sets is equally important for the proliferation of these tools. One

major flaw in the current commercial system of artificial intelligence is that only a select few companies have

access to large sets of data needed for experimentation in artificial intelligence (Howard et al., 2017;

Shadowen, 2017). While these companies often release trained artificial intelligence systems to the public, no

similar research and developmental can be done by smaller companies or research institutions. The public

thus stands to gain from the proliferation of large datasets on socio-economical metrics, possibly gained

through governmental access (Gordon-Murnane, 2018). A possible interesting add-on to the inclusion of big

A:

Classification

1.Fairlearning algorithms (Kusner et al., 2017)

2.Proliferation of use of algorithms in different context (increased external validity)

B:

Data

1.Anonymized governmental data

2.Inclusion of scientific open data sources

3.Open source commercial data (e.g. FATML yearly data-sets)

C:

Features

1.Feature pruning methods (Kliegr et al., 2018)

2.Error-corrected output coding (Shadowen, 2017)

D:

Model

1.Input Causal Model (Kusner et al., 2017)

2.Hierarchical minority class correction (Howard et al., 2017)

3.Genetic algorithms

Implementable aspects and benefits to Open Source debiasing platform

Figure 10: The possible implementable mentioned solutions which could be integrated into a open source platform

24

data sets in open source toolboxes, is the addition of idealized simulated counter sets of data. This would

allow programmers to train and test their artificial intelligence algorithms against both realistic and idealized

expectations and assumptions.

While the current study is skeptical of the current proposed solutions for eliminating bias in artificial

intelligence, open source functionality of these solution would allow for rigorous testing and improvement of

such solutions. The only feasible solution to eliminate negative bias found in the current research was the

hierarchical minority class correction proposed by Howard and colleagues (Howard & Borenstein, 2017;

Howard et al., 2017). This tool seems relatively effective at correcting for negative bias effects on algorithmic

bias, yet only in a highly specific scenario. The development of this tool, as well as development of tools not

yet feasibly implemented (e.g. using genetic algorithms), stands to gain from the open source proliferation of

the used code. Open source libraries of artificial intelligence code (e.g. scikit-learn) have improved immensely

due to access and development of individual programmers (e.g. the development of scikit-bold for cognitive

scientists). Such proliferation will be essential to increase the speed of discovery of anti-bias tools.

All of the aforementioned commercial solutions which have been highlighted would be in line with the

concept of open source debiasing tools (AI Now, 2017; Crawford, 2018), and could contribute and support to

such a platform. Moreover, improvement and refinement of this technology can financially benefit the

commercial world at large. Major companies stand to gain from independent researchers developing

debiasing tools, both as a direct tool to be used to avoid controversial artificial intelligence, as well as a open

source recruitment for both technological innovation and manpower (Nadella, 2018). Open source debiasing

tools offer companies a low-cost high reward option for eliminating possible future issues with biased

artificial intelligence.

Politically, multiple documents have already highlighted the need for open source type data sets provided by

governmental institutions (Accenture, 2017; Nonnecke et al., 2017). Similarly, several sources have

mentioned the importance of independent researchers being able to test artificial intelligence systems

(Barocas et al., 2017; Sherman, 2018). Government thus has a vested interest to promote an open source

platform that provides easy debiasing tools to the larger public. This can also be in tandem with legal

frameworks (e.g. GDPR), so that companies are mandated to incorporate bias metrics which can be

calculated by open source algorithms.

In summary, open source platforms are a great method to synthesize and expand the current platforms of

technological, commercial, and political solutions that have been proposed in the last few years. No such

platforms currently exist, with research groups developing independent methods for dealing with the issue of

bias in machine learning. It is in their vested interest to open up their research, to compliment methodologies

and attract commercial and political interest in the solution of open source platforms for debiasing artificial

intelligence.

5.2: Can implicit negative social bias be eliminated? As the aforementioned chapters highlight, solutions to the problem of implicit negative social bias feeding

into algorithmic bias can be partly corrected, and transparency into the problem could even correct the bias

25

to some degree (Kliegr et al., 2018). To what degree bias can be eliminated from artificial intelligence is

unclear, yet it is important to highlight the promise of debiased artificial intelligence.

From its inception, artificial intelligence was thought to be a novel form of decision making, unbiased and

technocratic (O’Neil, 2016). With the acknowledgement of bias feeding into artificial intelligence, this

concept has largely faded. Debiased artificial intelligence might revive this conceptual understanding.

Furthermore, multiple high-level actors in the debate have noted the immense possibility for idealistic

change that artificial intelligence can bring about (Coval, 2018; Nadella, 2018). With increased efficiency,

unbiased decision making in a host of fields could lead to the decrease of racist, sexist, and other

discriminatory societal tendencies. The equalizing promise of artificial intelligence relies entirely on the

ethical standards with which it is implemented. As such, a new partnership between human behavior and

artificial intelligence is required (Nadella, 2018).

Furthermore, while the section on Bias in Human Cognition clearly shows the difficulty of removing implicit

negative social bias in humans, several researchers have advocated the use of artificial intelligence as a tool

to better understand human bias tendencies (Anderson & Anderson, 2007; G. M. Johnson, 2018; Moor,

2006). If consistent mechanisms of debiasing are found in artificial intelligence, it could possibly lead to a

better understanding of how to correct for this in human behavior (Anderson & Anderson, 2007; Moor,

2006). Artificial intelligence research is, however, on the cusp of such concepts, and further development of

debiasing algorithms and transparency measures must be achieved in order for it to be informative in such a

manner.

6: Conclusion Artificial intelligence has been shown to be learning all our worst impulses (Buranyi, 2017; O’Neil, 2016).

Considering this recent discovery, a myriad of solutions has been proposed over the last two years. This quick

and disorganized response to the problem has been examined at multiple levels by means of a literary

analysis. Proposed technical solutions were discussed in term of viability, specificity, and general usefulness.

Commercial and political responses have been examined to expand the discussion of what response is

necessary in light of the problem of bias in artificial intelligence. A synthesis of the current literature on this

subject has resulted in an advisory opinion, namely the creation of an open source online platform for

debiasing related algorithms. Open source platforms allow for a faster development of debiasing techniques,

easy testing of existing debiasing techniques, and the cheap and easy implementation for commercial and

governmental institutions. This type of platform would allow for an efficient and effective response to the

current disorganized attempts to solve the problem of bias in artificial intelligence. If the current problem of

bias in artificial intelligence continues, it could result in the furthering of discrimination, and the

entrenchment of biased negative historical trends that have marked human history. However, artificial

intelligence may also represent the promise of change to this historical truth, which could allow us to create

efficient, effective, and most importantly, fair decision systems. Thus, artificial intelligence can learn all our

worst impulses, or our best impulses, it up to us to decide.

26

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