Tech company OpenAI recently responded to the Congressional Black Caucus’ concern about the lack of representation on the company’s board.
As reported by TechCrunch, the artificial intelligence research organization reportedly re-enforced its mission to build a diversified board in a new letter, claiming that it’s working alongside a search firm to find talent to add to the team.
In late Dec., members of the Congressional Black Caucus, otherwise known as the CBC, addressed the lack of diversity on the OpenAI board.
The letter voicing the concerns was sent following the return of Sam Altman, the organization’s CEO, which marked the removal of the only two women on the board. Currently, the board is made up of only white men.
In their message, Reps. Emanuel Cleaver II and Barbara Lee told Altman and his board to move quickly when diversifying their board to ensure that any artificial intelligence is created with the perspective of a diverse group of people.
“OpenAI is seen by some to be a visible leader in AI working to shape the future of
Technology.,” said the Reps. per the letter obtained by The Technology 202. “Your organization is navigating the aftermath of one crisis of governance, and how OpenAI moves forward in building its board leadership will demonstrate whether OpenAI is sincere about its DEI commitments and can meet the minimum threshold to lead by example and with credibility.”
Currently, AI has been recognized as a perpetrator of racial bias. The new form of technology has led to disparities in a variety of fields, including law and health.
The board of @OpenAI is now composed exclusively of white men.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) December 14, 2023
If leading AI companies don’t take action to increase diversity, existing racial and economic inequities will only deepen.
Read about my letter to @OpenAI with @RepCleaver: https://t.co/wtoeQmMMin
When AI was implemented in facial recognition software, the feature displayed discrimination in its ability to identify individuals.
Per a report by the University of Calgary, AI-led facial software was successful in identifying approximately 99% of white men. When it came to identifying BIPOC individuals, especially Black women, the software was only correct 35% of the time.
In healthcare, AI algorithms helped perpetuate bias because of the lack of diversity in the data that’s being used to train it.
In a new study, researchers found discrimination in artificial intelligence chatbots being used in medicine in particular.
Published in the scientific journal Digital Medicine, the study reported that the AI chat box, which is being increasingly implemented in the health system following the pandemic, gave incorrect information about topics such as muscle mass as well as kidney and lung function when it came to Black patients. According to officials, this could potentially lead to misdiagnosis or delays in treatment for Black patients.
In their open letter to Altman and Open AI, Reps. Cleaver and Lee highlighted the potential impact the lack of diversity could continue to have if not addressed.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing, creating incredible new capabilities as
well as the potential for serious misuse, drastic accidents, and societal disruption,” said the Reps. in their letter. “The consequences of future advancements in AI will impact all of humanity, and the development of AI must therefore be guided by diverse perspectives that represent the full spectrum of human experience.”
