Universities are embedding DEI concepts into AI programs, watchdog warns– www.thecollegefix.com

Schools embed ‘algorithmic bias,’ ‘social good,’ ‘equity’ into AI initiatives

Programs at colleges and universities are incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, principles into artificial intelligence research and education, a watchdog group report found.

The Defending Education investigation highlights AI hubs at schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California Berkeley, Columbia University, Virginia State University, and Morgan State University. Defending Education argues that these programs could influence how AI is developed and used as educators increasingly adopt the technology.

According to the watchdog group, some universities embed concepts such as “algorithmic bias,” “social good,” and “equity” into their AI initiatives.

“Algorithmic bias is associated with the claim that AI systems are typically created by white or Asian men, and as a result, the answers that AI systems may provide to students or educators will be influenced by these specific white and Asian men who created them,” Defending Education states.

For example, the UC Berkeley AI Research Lab hosts an initiative that aims to “to drive critical research, innovation and collaboration towards responsible and equitable AI.”