Examples

1. 1.

   For example, consider a classification model that predicts whether or not a loan applicant will default on their loan, which was trained on historical loan-default data from the 1980s from local banks in two different communities. If past applicants from Community A were six times more likely to default on their loans than applicants from Community B, the model might learn a historical bias resulting in the model being less likely to approve loans in Community A, even if the historical conditions that resulted in that community's higher default rates were no longer relevant.

2. 2.

   See Fairness: Types of bias in Machine Learning Crash Course for more information.

Real-world uses

Created for this library

1. 1.

   A lending team flags historical bias in its training data because past approval decisions reflect a less inclusive policy than the bank now intends to apply.

2. 2.

   A hiring-tech vendor evaluates historical bias in resume data because past hiring decisions reflect outdated screening practices.

3. 3.

   A health-tech startup audits historical bias in clinical datasets because under-represented groups appear less frequently in historical care patterns.