AI AND INEQUALITY AT WORK
TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING HOW WE WORK, BUT NOT ALWAYS FOR THE BETTER. IT CAN TREAT SOME PEOPLE UNFAIRLY BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.
AI SYSTEMS OFTEN REPRODUCE EXISTING BIASES DUE TO THE DATA THEY ARE TRAINED ON AND THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGN THEM.
WHO’S AT RISK?
BLACK, ASIAN AND MINORITY ETHNIC WORKERS
Biased training data can
result in hiring tools that unfairly filter out candidates from these communities.
DISABLED WORKERS
Automated assessments may overlook non-visible disabilities or apply unfair assumptions about what people can or can’t do.
OLDER WORKERS
May be unfairly fl agged as ‘slow’ by AI screening systems.
YOUNGER WORKERS
May be filtered out by narrow definitions of “experience.”
WOMEN
Algorithms often value male traits, and women may be penalised for
tone or communication style, while a male colleague isn’t.
LGBTQ+
Predictive behaviour tools might misinterpret LGBTQ+ identity
expressions as non-standard or risky.
RELIGION OR BELIEF
Workplace monitoring tools can ignore religious needs, such as prayer breaks.
NEURODIVERGENT WORKERS
Systems that expect fast, uniform responses might flag someone unfairly for pausing too long on a call.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
