This is how AI bias really happens--and why it's so hard to fix

Over the past few months, we've documented how the vast majority of AI's applications today are based on the category of algorithms known as deep learning, and how deep-learning algorithms find patterns in data. We've also covered how these technologies affect people's lives: how they can perpetuate injustice in hiring, retail, and security and may already be doing so in the criminal legal system. But it's not enough just to know that this bias exists. If we want to be able to fix it, we need to understand the mechanics of how it arises in the first place. We often shorthand our explanation of AI bias by blaming it on biased training data.