Semantics derived automatically from language corpora contain human-like biases

Understand

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are in a period of astounding growth.

• However, there are concerns that these technologies may be used, either with or without intention, to perpetuate the prejudice and unfairness that unfortunately characterizes many human institutions.
• Here we show for the first time that human-like semantic biases result from the application of standard machine learning to ordinary language---the same sort of language humans are exposed to every day.
• We replicate a spectrum of standard human biases as exposed by the Implicit Association Test and other well-known psychological studies.