CBC Members Press Internet Association on Racial Bias

Today, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) sent a letter to the Internet Association (IA) urging the organization, which represents some of the world's biggest tech companies, to "stop the spread of racial and gender bias through technology and adopt practices and policies to hold members accountable when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology." They write, "It is imperative that policy makers carefully attempt to balance policies and regulations that mitigate social and ethical risks while providing an environment that allows for and supports innovation in industries such as yours." Politico reports that the members ask IA to answer these questions: whether it has implemented a process to ensure no gender, racial or religious bias in its data sets, algorithms and products; whether it has put in place best practices to prevent discrimination; and if there's a process that could educate the public and IA members on how to spot racial- or gender-biased content. See the full letter here.