Bias is a serious problem in artificial intelligence (AI). Research shows that popular smart speakers are 30 percent less likely to understand non-native U.S. accents, for example, and that facial recognition systems such as those from Cognitec perform demonstrably worse on African American faces. In fact, according to a recent study commissioned by IBM, two-thirds of businesses are wary of adopting AI because of potential liability concerns. In an effort to help enterprises address this problem, IBM today announced the launch of a cloud-based, fully automated service that "continually provides [insights]" into how AI systems are making their decisions. It also scans for signs of prejudice and recommends adjustments -- such as algorithmic tweaks or counterbalancing data -- that might lessen their impact.

A new machine-learning based security solution from IBM could help businesses detect phishing sites up to 250% faster than other methods. Announced via a blog post on Monday, the cognitive phishing detection feature is part of the IBM Security Trusteer platform. When it comes to hacking, phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It has stayed around for so long, in part, because it still works. According to IBM Security research cited in the post, some 30% of phishing emails are opened by targeted recipients. Phishing works well because it capitalizes on the fact that humans are typically the weakest link in an organization's cybersecurity.