(Press-News.org) New research by the psychologists Lucía Vicente and Helena Matute from Deusto University in Bilbao, Spain, provides evidence that people can inherit artificial intelligence biases (systematic errors in AI outputs) in their decisions.
The astonishing results achieved by artificial intelligence systems, which can, for example, hold a conversation as a human does, have given this technology an image of high reliability. More and more professional fields are implementing AI-based tools to support the decision-making of specialists to minimise errors in their decisions. However, this technology is not without risks due to biases in AI results. We must consider that the data used to train AI models reflects past human decisions. If this data hides patterns of systematic errors, the AI algorithm will learn and reproduce these errors. Indeed, extensive evidence indicates that AI systems do inherit and amplify human biases.
The most relevant finding of Vicente and Matute’s research is that the opposite effect may also occur: that humans inherit AI biases. That is, not only would AI inherit its biases from human data, but people could also inherit those biases from AI, with the risk of getting trapped in a dangerous loop. Scientific Reports publishes the results of Vicente and Matute’s research.
In the series of three experiments conducted by these researchers, volunteers performed a medical diagnosis task. A group of the participants were assisted by a biased AI system (it exhibited a systematic error) during this task, while the control group were unassisted. The AI, the medical diagnosis task, and the disease were fictitious. The whole setting was a simulation to avoid interference with real situations.
The participants assisted by the biased AI system made the same type of errors as the AI, while the control group did not make these mistakes. Thus, AI recommendations influenced participant’s decisions. Yet the most significant finding of the research was that, after interaction with the AI system, those volunteers continued to mimic its systematic error when they switched to performing the diagnosis task unaided. In other words, participants who were first assisted by the biased AI replicated its bias in a context without this support, thus showing an inherited bias. This effect was not observed for the participants in the control group, who performed the task unaided from the beginning.
These results show that biased information by an artificial intelligence model can have a perdurable negative impact on human decisions. The finding of an inheritance of AI bias effect points to the need for further psychological and multidisciplinary research on AI-human interaction. Furthermore, evidence-based regulation is also needed to guarantee fair and ethical AI, considering not only the AI technical features but also the psychological aspects of the IA and human collaboration.
Vicente, L, & Matute, H. Humans inherit artificial intelligence biases. Scientific Reports (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42384-8
END
Humans inherit artificial intelligence biases
2023-10-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Globally, consumption of sugary drinks increased at least 16% since 1990
2023-10-03
The decision to reach for a sugary beverage is heavily influenced by where you live, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy researchers report in a new study published October 3 in the journal Nature Communications. While an analysis of the Global Dietary Database for the years 1990, 2005, and 2018 found overall consumption of sweetened drinks increased—by nearly 16% worldwide over the 28-year period studied—regional intake widely varied.
Sugary drinks are a public health concern because they have been widely associated ...
Electronic sensor the size of a single molecule a potential game-changer
2023-10-03
Australian researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits.
Piezoresistors are commonly used to detect vibrations in electronics and automobiles, such as in smart phones for counting steps, and for airbag deployment in cars. They are also used in medical devices such as implantable pressure sensors, as well as in aviation and space travel.
In a nationwide initiative, researchers led by Dr Nadim Darwish from Curtin University, Professor Jeffrey ...
Controlled burns help prevent wildfires; Climate change is limiting their use
2023-10-03
Key takeaways
Rising temperatures will cut the number of days when conditions favor prescribed fires by 17% on average across the Western U.S., mostly in spring and summer.
Winter, however, will see a net 4% increase in the number of favorable days.
Implementing controlled burns in the West will require changes to policy and the availability of firefighters.
Prescribed fires, sometimes called controlled burns, are one of the most common tools for preventing catastrophic wildfires in the Western United States. Lit by highly trained firefighters, they help clear away excess dry plant matter that might otherwise ...
Pregnant women offered new hope for safe and effective gestational diabetes treatment
2023-10-03
Researchers at University of Galway have taken a significant step forward in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus after a clinical trial involving pregnant women provided new hope for expectant mothers suffering the condition.
The findings from the trial are being published in JAMA: the Journal of American Medical Association.
Gestational diabetes is a global health issue affecting almost 3 million pregnant women worldwide every year. It is a condition characterised by elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy, posing increased health risks for both mothers and their babies.
Professor Fidelma Dunne, Professor of Medicine ...
Early metformin in gestational diabetes
2023-10-03
About The Study: In this randomized clinical trial, early treatment with metformin was not superior to placebo for the composite primary outcome of insulin initiation or a fasting glucose level of 5.1 mmol/L or greater at gestation weeks 32 or 38. Prespecified secondary outcome data support further investigation of metformin in larger clinical trials.
Authors: Fidelma Dunne, Ph.D., of the University of Galway in Galway, Ireland, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...
Tirzepatide vs insulin lispro added to basal insulin in type 2 diabetes
2023-10-03
About The Study: In people with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes treated with basal insulin in this randomized clinical trial with 1,428 participants, weekly tirzepatide compared with prandial insulin as an additional treatment with insulin glargine demonstrated reductions in HbA1c and body weight with less hypoglycemia.
Authors: Julio Rosenstock, M.D., of Velocity Clinical Research at Medical City in Dallas, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...
New biobanking partnership safeguards the genetic diversity of America’s endangered species
2023-10-03
San Francisco, CA - The nonprofit Revive & Restore announces a groundbreaking new initiative to biobank U.S. endangered species, in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This multi-institution collaboration is the first systematic biobanking pipeline for U.S. threatened and endangered species. The initiative will protect genetic diversity for current and future recovery efforts.
"This is about creating a legacy of America’s natural history before it is lost and provides an important resource to enhance species recovery efforts now and in the future,” said Ryan Phelan, Executive Director of Revive & ...
Eating disorders increased during pandemic in female adolescents and adults
2023-10-03
Emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for eating disorders increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents aged 10–17 years, as did ED visits among young adults and older adults, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221318.
Using ICES data, researchers compared observed and expected rates of ED visits and hospitalizations for eating disorders before (Jan. 1, 2017, to Feb. 29, 2020) and during the pandemic (Mar. 1, 2020, to Aug. 31, 2022) in adolescents (10–17 years), young adults (18–26 years), adults (27–40 years) ...
Improved mangrove conservation could yield cash, carbon, coastal benefits
2023-10-03
A shift in the way we think about the benefits mangroves provide to coastal regions could yield significant economic and biodiversity gains and protect millions from flooding, research has revealed.
The University of Queensland-led study shows current conservation efforts typically target biodiversity protection whilst minimising conflict with economic interests, while failing to consider the huge benefits provided by ecosystems.
Alvise Dabalà, now at the University of the Azores and whose Masters project at UQ formed the basis of this study, said human activities, such as deforestation and coastal development have led to extensive ...
Brain biometrics help identify sports concussions
2023-10-03
Novel brain biometrics could help inform whether an athlete is ready to return to play following a concussion, according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Conducted in partnership with the University of California San Francisco (UCFC), researchers found that changes in micromovements of the brain – termed ‘headpulses’ – could detect the lasting impacts of a concussion.
Using a custom-designed headset* to evaluate headpulse biometrics among 101 amateur male and female Australian ...