Latest news with #KyraWilson
Forbes
08-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Your AI Hiring Tool Might Be Racist. Here Are Three Ways To Address AI Bias And Make Hiring More Fair
Many employers use AI tools to help them assess and manage job applicants; one Resume Builder survey indicated that by the end of 2025, 68% of companies will be using AI for hiring. But many of these AI tools are laden with bias, leading to candidates from underrepresented racial groups being filtered out. One 2024 study by Kyra Wilson and Aylin Caliskan revealed that the Massive Text Embedding (MTE) models used by many resume screening tools were biased. The MTE models the researchers analyzed significantly favored white-associated names (in 85.1% of the cases); further analysis also determined that Black males were disadvantaged in 100% of the cases. A 2024 Bloomberg analysis revealed racial bias in OpenAI's ChatGPT 3.5. According to a Business Insider report, researchers used ChatGPT to screen resumes for jobs, with their analysis indicating that the AI tool over-selected Asian women job applicants and under-selected Black men job applicants. In a separate Australian study, researcher Natalie Sheard demonstrated that the AI tools used during the hiring process penalized non-native English speakers with accents from other countries more than English-language speakers in the U.S. The Australian human resource professionals interviewed indicated that curriculum vitae analysis systems and video interview systems were common AI tools used to evaluate job candidates. Many companies use facial analysis and recognition software to make workplace decisions, but these tools can exacerbate existing racial disparities. There are a few different reasons why bias creeps into the AI tools used for hiring. The first is faulty training data. According to IBM, machine learning that is trained on samples that are homogenous and lack diversity will reproduce bias. In the aforementioned Australian study, the researcher noted another way bias can creep into these systems: an algorithmic model may prioritize characteristics and traits that are typically associated with dominant cultural norms, disadvantaging non-white job candidates and those with less traditional backgrounds and characteristics. IBM argues that when humans are programming AI models, our biases can seep into these models and show up in ways like exclusion bias; AI models also learn and replicate societal biases, which can show up as stereotyping bias. AI hiring tools that end up causing bias can be a costly mistake for employers. Here's how companies can address biases in AI hiring tools: 1. Require audits of AI tools. Under New York City's Automated Employment Decision Tools Law, which went into effect in July 2023, employers are prohibited from using 'automated employment decision tools' to make hiring and promotion decisions unless an independent auditor reviews the tool before usage. Under the law, job candidates are also required to receive notice that the tool is being used. Organizations should follow similar guidelines and consider implementing AI tools to make hiring decisions only after an outside review from an auditor. 2. Assess AI tool over time. After making the decision to implement AI hiring tools into the workplace, these tools should be continuously monitored over time. A 2025 article from suggests that in order to get the most out of your AI tool, consistent checks are imperative. Assess important metrics to ensure AI tools are addressing the issues they were adopted for. Some questions the article suggests considering: 'Has AI helped you hire faster? Are your new hires performing better? Is the candidate's experience improving?' Also evaluate whether job candidates from certain backgrounds are being filtered out by the AI tool and manually assess these candidates to ensure fairness in the process. 3. Don't rely solely on AI tools. There should be some oversight when deploying AI hiring tools and companies shouldn't rely on these tools to make the final hiring decisions. Employees that will be engaging with these tools should receive adequate and thorough training on ethical use and deployment of AI tools. Trust (to an extent) but verify, when it comes to workplace AI tools. It's important to remember that AI cannot replace humans in the hiring process. We must remember that no workplace tool will ever be perfect. AI is not a panacea for recruitment and hiring issues and should be implemented with care, concern and consideration. AI is revolutionizing our workplaces in a plethora of ways and in the years to come, AI in our workplaces will be inevitable. While the possibilities of these tools seem endless, we must also be mindful of their vulnerabilities and limitations.
CTV News
27-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs concerned about passing of Bill C-5
CTV News political commentator Tom Mulcair reacts to the passage of Bill C-5 through the Senate, saying he's not surprised there were no amendments to the bill. A First Nations organization in Manitoba is concerned about the speedy passage of federal legislation. Bill C-5, also known as the Building Canada Act, became law on Thursday. The act is controversial as it gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy, allowing them to sidestep environmental protections and other legislation. The bill has been praised by business groups, such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, who believe it will help boost Canada's economy. Multiple Indigenous groups have criticized the bill in the leadup, saying their concerns were not addressed in the discussion of the bill, and it was fast-tracked. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said the bill doesn't respect First Nations' laws or jurisdiction. 'First Nations are not stakeholders – we are sovereign Nations with inherent rights and sacred agreements with the Crown,' Wilson said in a statement. 'This legislation shows exactly how structural inequities are embedded into the development of Canada's legislative and economic policies when First Nations are excluded from the process.' Wilson added that First Nations in Manitoba are not opposed to projects that boost the economy but are opposed to 'compressed timelines and federal overreach.' -With files from The Canadian Press
CBC
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Assembly of First Nations summer meeting in Winnipeg moved to fall due to wildfires
The Assembly of First Nations' (AFN) annual general assembly, which was scheduled to be held in Winnipeg in July, has been postponed to September due to wildfires impacting many First Nations across the country. The annual general assembly of the AFN, a national advocacy organization for more than 630 First Nations, was scheduled to take place at the city's RBC Convention Centre July 14-17. The annual gathering brings hundreds of First Nations leaders and delegates together over three days to discuss and set national priorities for the year through resolutions passed by chiefs and proxies in attendance. "Many communities are actively engaged in emergency response efforts, and current conditions are impacting travel, accommodations, and the ability of delegates to participate in national gatherings," read an AFN statement issued June 12. "The AFN remains committed to supporting meaningful and safe participation for all member First Nations in the AGA." According to Indigenous Services Canada, as of June 17, there are 25 First Nations are impacted by wildland fires, and 31 First Nations evacuated including 11 communities in Manitoba. In total, 26,888 individuals are currently evacuated from First Nations due to the fires. On June 9, the Province of Manitoba asked people to reconsider non-essential travel in the province to prioritize accommodations for evacuees. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which represents all 63 First Nations in the province, said they were trying to respect the space needed for families that have been evacuated. "It just makes things easier to free up those hotel spaces and people, our families, are not being kicked out of their rooms because other events need to be accommodated," said Wilson. The event has been rescheduled to Sept. 3-5 in Winnipeg.
CBC
05-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Manitoba to give update on wildfire situation at 12:45 p.m.
Manitoba's officials are giving an update on the wildfires burning out of control across the province, forcing thousands out of their homes. CBC News will livestream the news conference at 12:45 p.m. CT on our website and on CBC Gem. Manitoba Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor, Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister for the Conservation Officer Service and Manitoba Wildfire Service, and Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, are expected to speak. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News earlier Thursday that worsening air quality has forced five more First Nations in Manitoba to start preparing the evacuation of vulnerable residents with medical conditions. Four of those communities are in Manitoba's Island Lake region, about 470 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The other community is Misipawistik Cree Nation, roughly 390 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. While getting members with respiratory issues out promptly is a primary concern, the leaders of their communities want to ensure hotel spaces are available in southern Manitoba before they start moving residents, Wilson said. The evacuation of other communities in recent days has been disorganized and unco-ordinated, Wilson said, with some people, including vulnerable residents with medical conditions, still waiting in line for accommodation or meals. "Unfortunately we have no real involvement," Wilson said, with the Red Cross providing evacuation services to First Nations under an agreement with Indigenous Services Canada. Wilson is calling for a regional emergency management strategy in which Indigenous communities have more participation than they do now. "We need First Nations leadership to be involved in the decision-making, and the response time needs to be quick," she said.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘Trying to fight a fire with a water pistol': First Nations leaders call for more resources to fight wildfires in Manitoba
Paul Boissoneault from Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs discusses the need for a national fire service and what that would entail. First Nations leaders in northern Manitoba say they don't have proper equipment to fight the wildfires that are devastating their communities and forced thousands of people to evacuate. Multiple leaders spoke at a joint news conference Tuesday, calling on the province and federal governments to provide more support to help ensure people living in their communities are safe. 'Our chiefs, our leadership, they're having to respond and be reactive to what is happening right now, rather than being proactive,' said the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs' Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. 'If they had the tools and they had the equipment that they need to keep their community safe with any natural disaster, then they would have been able to approach this in a different way.' Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Chief Gordie Bear have both said their communities have not received any firefighting equipment since the state of emergency was declared by the province. According to the latest fire bulletin from the province on Monday, the fire near Mathias Colomb is around 10,000 hectares in size and burning out of control, while the Pimicikamak fire is around 3,300 hectares in size and also burning out of control. Bear said all the community has is two fire trucks and garden hoses used to flood the hockey rink. 'We have a pile of garden hoses and cots. We don't need those cots. We have beds at home. Give us equipment; we'll protect ourselves and we'll stop the fire,' said Bear. 'Give us resources; give us the power.' All but 50 essential workers have been evacuated from the community. Monias said his community has just one fire truck and nothing else. 'I even asked for a fire truck if they can even let us borrow one so we can spray the houses, the rooftops, and try and prevent any embers from flying off onto the shingles to make sure that we are protecting our property,' said Monias. Monias said the people who are fighting the fires are doing a great job, and he thanked them for all their work, but noted there aren't enough people. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Grand Chief Garrison Settee said Manitoba would be facing a very different situation right now if the proper supports were already in place in all of these communities. 'They could have put out many of these fires if they had basic fire suppression tools, water tankers, even things like hoses and protective gear,' said Settee. 'It's like trying to fight a fire with a water pistol. That's what our leaders are faced with. That's what our firefighters are faced with.' Wilson said it is time for the provincial and federal governments to step up and provide the support that is needed to get the fires under control and allow the 17,000-plus evacuees to return home. 'It doesn't matter about jurisdictional issues or who's responsible for what. We needed equipment in the communities yesterday,' said Wilson. Wilson said she is doing an assessment of what is needed in each community and will be sending her findings to both the province and federal government. CTV News has reached out to the Manitoba and federal governments for comment.
