Using ethical AI in recruitment: opaque vs. transparent AI

There has never been such a revolution, one that has shaken the talent industry so dramatically in recent years. The pandemic, the Great Resignation, inflation and now talk of looming recessions are changing talent strategies as we know them.

Such significant changes, and the challenge of staying ahead of them, have brought artificial intelligence (AI) to the forefront of the minds of HR leaders and hiring teams as they strive to streamline workflows and identify suitable talent to fill vacant positions faster. to fill in. Yet many organizations are still deploying AI tools without properly evaluating the technology or understanding how it works, so they cannot be sure they are using it responsibly.

What does it mean for AI to be ‘ethical’?

As with any other technology, there is an ongoing debate about the right and wrong use of AI. While AI is not new to the ethical conversation, its increasing use in HR and talent management has unlocked a new level of discussion about what it actually means for AI to be ethical. At its core is the need for businesses to understand the associated compliance and regulatory frameworks and ensure they are working to support the business in meeting those standards.

Bringing in governance and a flexible compliance framework around AI is becoming critical to meeting regulatory requirements, especially in different geographies. With new laws being introduced, it has never been more important for companies to prioritize AI ethics alongside evolving compliance guidelines. By ensuring that they can understand the technology’s algorithm, they reduce the risk of AI models becoming discriminatory if they are not properly assessed, monitored and trained.

What is Opaque AI?

Opaque, or black box, AI separates the algorithms of the technology from its users, making it impossible to control AI because there is no clear understanding of how the models work or which data points it prioritises. As such, monitoring and controlling AI becomes impossible, exposing a company to the risks of running models with unconscious bias. There is a way to avoid this pattern and implement a system where AI remains subject to human oversight and evaluation: Transparent, or white box, AI.

Ethical AI: Opening the White Box

The answer to the ethical use of AI is ‘explainable AI’ or the white box model. Explainable AI actually turns the black box model inside out – it encourages transparency around the use of AI so that everyone can see how it works and, most importantly, understand how conclusions have been drawn. This approach allows organizations to report on the data with confidence, as users can understand and audit the technology’s processes to ensure the AI ​​remains unbiased.

For example, recruiters using an explainable AI approach will not only better understand how the AI ​​made a recommendation, but they will also remain active in the process of reviewing and reviewing the returned recommendation – known as “human in the loop.” With this approach, a human operator is the one who oversees the decision, understands how and why it came to that conclusion, and controls the operation as a whole.

This way of working with AI also affects how a potential employee profile is identified. With opaque AI, recruiters can easily search for a candidate’s level of experience or a specific job title. As a result, the AI ​​could return a suggestion that it assumed was the only accurate — or available — option. In reality, such candidate searches benefit that the AI ​​can also address and identify parallel skills and other relevant complementary experiences or roles. Without such flexibility, recruiters are merely scratching the surface of the pool of potential talent available and may inadvertently discriminate against others.

Conclusion

All AI comes with a level of responsibility that users should be aware of, associated ethical stances, promoting transparency, and ultimately understanding all levels of its use. Explainable AI is a powerful tool in streamlining talent management processes, making recruiting and retention strategies increasingly effective; but encouraging open conversations about AI is the most critical step in truly unlocking an ethical approach to its use.

Abakar Saidov is CEO and co-founder of beamery.