Coded Bias. Biased Code.

Coded Bias (2020) is the title of a documentary film where researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that facial recognition technology is unable to recognize her dark skin. This incident gave the beginning to a broad research and a public debate about how technology discriminates against people, limits their freedom and is biased.  

The movie highlights that the latest solutions and cutting-edge technologies that are introduced to masses, are created by a small, extremely homogenic group of (usually) wealthy, white men, in the (technological) North; therefore, they are biased. The author talks about coded bias; however, I think that a phrase biased code would also be appropriate in this case.  

Buolamwini proves that the software failing to recognize a person with a different than white skin colour was not a marginal error. Shockingly there were more cases when computer programs worked in favour of people with lighter skin.   

When we reflect on the world we live in, it is easy to think that other people are in the same position as we are. That they have access to the same technology, infrastructure, media, or news that we have. On the one hand it is easy to treat ourselves as a reference, but on the other hand, the world has never been so conscious of others. Thanks to the technological revolutions, we are where we are today, and we know what we know. With that knowledge and ability to influence societies, biased codes should never appear. 

Delivering applications, or any technological products based on a need and satisfying this need (along with the revenue the manufacturer is hoping to generate), should be transparent. If there are limitations, they should be clearly stated and explained. In such diverse societies, we are aware that there are no flawless solutions suitable to everyone. It, however, does not give anyone the right to discriminate against people and ignore them. 

 VR, amongst other latest developing domains, has potential to help create fairer and more open-minded world through two channels; first, throughout providing access to training in the subject to wide and diverse groups that feel that VR is the channel they want to communicate via with the world; and second, through the content VR is producing and offering. If we want to create a better future, where bias is not the element shaping reality, we need to act now.