Tech's push to reduce AI bias faces new challenge as Trump targets 'woke AI' efforts
Tech companies that previously scaled back their workplace diversity programmes now confront fresh scrutiny regarding DEI implementation in their AI products.
The focus in Washington has shifted, with concerns over "woke AI" now taking center stage instead of algorithmic discrimination.
Last month, the House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and 10 other tech companies, investigating their earlier efforts to promote equity in AI development and prevent biased or harmful outputs.
The US Commerce Department's standards division has removed references to AI fairness and safety in its research collaboration requests. The revised document, seen by The Associated Press, now emphasises reducing ideological bias to enhance economic competitiveness.
Technology professionals are accustomed to adapting their work to changing Washington priorities.
According to the Associated Press, this transition concerns field experts, including Harvard University sociologist Ellis Monk, who previously assisted Google in developing more inclusive AI products.
The technology sector had recognised issues with computer vision AI, particularly regarding image recognition.
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These systems showed promise commercially but reflected historical prejudices similar to earlier photographic technologies that poorly represented Black and brown individuals.
Google implemented Monk's colour scale, improving AI image tools' representation of diverse skin tones, replacing an older standard designed for white dermatology patients.
"Consumers definitely had a huge positive response to the changes," he said.
Monk considers the future of such initiatives uncertain.
While his Monk Skin Tone Scale remains secure within numerous products at Google and elsewhere - including camera phones, video games, AI image generators - he and colleagues worry about reduced support for future inclusive technology development.
"Google wants their products to work for everybody, in India, China, Africa, et cetera. That part is kind of DEI-immune," Monk told the Associated Press.
"But could future funding for those kinds of projects be lowered? Absolutely, when the political mood shifts and when there's a lot of pressure to get to market very quickly," Monk added.
The Trump administration has cut hundreds of science, technology, and health funding grants related to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) themes, though his impact on the commercial development of chatbots and other AI products has been more indirect.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said the ongoing investigation into AI companies aims to determine whether the Biden administration "coerced or colluded with" them to censor lawful speech.
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