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Posted on 03/27/2024 5:44:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
In the realm of artificial intelligence, a groundbreaking study by the Allen Institute for AI casts a stark light on a troubling issue: commercial AI chatbots, including the renowned GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 by OpenAI, harbor covert racial prejudices against speakers of African American English (AAE). At first glance, these AI models seem to espouse positive views towards African Americans. Yet, when interacting with text in AAE, they reveal a darker underbelly, associating AAE speakers with negative stereotypes such as being 'suspicious', 'aggressive', and 'ignorant'. This phenomenon isn't just a technical glitch; it's a mirror reflecting the deep-seated biases ingrained in society, now being perpetuated by the very technologies that promise to lead us into the future.
The Hidden Bias Within
The study's findings are alarming. Text in African American English triggers responses in these AI models that lean heavily on negative stereotypes, affecting decisions on employment, justice, and beyond. AAE speakers are less likely to be associated with employment opportunities, and when they are, the roles are often stereotypically low-income or entertainment-related. In hypothetical scenarios, these speakers are more likely to be convicted of crimes and receive harsher sentences, including the death penalty for murder. This bias isn't just overt; it's a covert racism that's harder to detect and, consequently, to combat. The implications are far-reaching, affecting not only individual lives but also perpetuating systemic racial biases in society.
Scaling Up Bias
The research points to a scaling issue: larger AI models demonstrate more covert prejudice than their smaller counterparts. This suggests that as AI models grow, so too does their capacity for bias, raising serious questions about the efficacy of AI safety training. Critics argue that current safety measures may reduce overt signs of racial prejudice but fail to address the underlying covert biases. This discovery underscores the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of AI training practices and safety evaluations to truly eliminate racial bias in AI systems.
A Call for Action
This research is a clarion call for the tech industry to confront the embedded biases within AI technologies. The findings from the Allen Institute for AI, alongside other studies, reveal a disturbing trend of AI models perpetuating and, in some cases, exacerbating societal inequalities. It's a reminder that as AI continues to integrate into every aspect of our lives, from criminal justice to employment, the stakes for ensuring these technologies are equitable and free of bias have never been higher. As we stand on the precipice of a future increasingly shaped by AI, the imperative to act is not just technical; it's moral.
What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?................
I love the phrase “Garbage In, Garbage Out” A Program is a Program is a Program
So, someone needs to create an ebonics LLM?
This research is a clarion call for the tech industry to confront the embedded biases within AI technologies.
This research ought to be a clarion call to all parents (hick speak is just as bad) to teach their children to tailor their speech to the circumstances and the audience.
All programs are written by coders. Garbage in, garbage out.
If an AI shows any bias, it was put there by humans. Quit blaming ............”software”. That is misdirection intended to get you to look elsewhere.
Garbage in, garbage out.
You men there’s “programming by fellas with compassion & vision”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wlA309xBBQ&ab_channel=RecreationalMixtape
“African American English”
I think I see the problem.
Instead I got warrior-women in armor and holding weapons, complete with fantasy creatures in the background - a dragon in one image, a winged wolf with duck feet coming in for a landing in another (?!?)
So I told it to get rid of the weapons, and I managed to get rid of the fantasy elements as well. But I could not get the AI to admit that viking women did not wear armor. Maybe it thought I was asking for nudies or something when I tried to get it to ditch the armor, but the failure of the AI to generate historically accurate images no matter how hard you try is troubling...
That’s exactly what we need!
A computer that speaks JIVE!.................
Viking Womens................
Exactly what I was thinking.
THE BIASES ARE IN THE PROGRAMMERS!! PROGRAMMERS ARE RACISTS@!!
Hmmm ... maybe "african americans" would learn to speak English in lieu of gibberish, they'd have fewer problems.
British blacks, or African blacks from former British colonies such as Kenya, don't seem to have trouble pronouncing standard English. You can hear their good diction on any BBC program. Why do Americans keep hobbling blacks with “the soft bigotry of low expectations”?
AAE? Did they give up on Ebonics? Gutter Slang? Ghetto talk? Jive?
Seeing, regrettably, as much of the various social media posts and the utter butchering of the English language that is happening... I don’t blame AI for getting confused.
But setting up a special study/commission to “deal” with the problem seems stupid and hyper-sensitive to me... Which, it pretty typical.
Humans have gotten soft in the 1st World societies.
“British blacks, or African blacks from former British colonies”
Exactly. I had engineering interns for me from the Caribbean. They didn’t talk like hood ratchets and were appalled at the level of hate they got from American blacks in their colleges for “acting white.” They were expected to dumb themselves down to the level of the blacks in the grievance studies programs rather than actually study engineering (not an easy path for anyone.)
As an aside, when I would help fill out their paperwork there was no option for “black.” Only “African American, Not White”
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