Ethical AI in Government: Building Your Agency’s Diversity Strategy (E73)

Federal agencies are pushed and pulled in different directions. A notable example is the entire process of adding staff. It takes an estimated one hundred days to make a hire. Human resource professionals are pushed to speed that up. On the other hand, agencies must also comply with mandates to increase diversity. How many hours are in the day to review resumes?

The answer may be by applying artificial intelligence. Today’s discussion focuses on the ability of artificial intelligence to help speed through applications and, at the same time, be able to increase diversity in the workforce.

Joe Biden’s sweeping Executive Order improves the federal workforce by improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the federal workforce. It was announced on June 25, 2021. It is getting some momentum because in September of 2022 the Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council will look at making suggestions to help agencies achieve compliance.

It is a challenge to apply these mandates to the volume of applications received. Greg Singleton from HHS estimates they have 90,000 direct employees.  A big number for a stressed human resource group to review diversity.

Dan Hopkins from Eightfold AI states that applying artificial intelligence to this problem will start by creating overall efficiency. It can also provide deeper insights into what is required for the role. Finally, it can help oversee the hundreds and thousands of applications the federal government gets a year.

Carol J. Smith from the DoD has had an experience where she has seen bias in the methods to produce artificial intelligence. If the data is going to be collected and curated by humans, then it could have a bias. She recommends a human be integral to the process of any applied intelligence.

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