Instead of amplifying human biases, can algorithms help fix them?

The voice that responds when you say, "OK Google." These virtual assistants rely on artificial intelligence. They are increasingly ubiquitous, and they are female. Kate Devlin, a technology expert and senior lecturer at King's College, London, says it may stem from biases that can lurk deep in human thought, perhaps even unnoticed. She recounts how, when she asked a developer of one of the digital-assistants why he chose a female voice, his answer was, "I didn't really think about it."