The Associated Press reports that the New York City Council passed a piece of legislation on November 10, 2021, placing limits on the use of artificial intelligence in the hiring process. This bill addresses the opaque nature of AI tools utilized by employers by requiring them to implement an auditing system. The new auditing requirement is aimed at protecting against racial and gender biases that are a major risk during AI-oriented hiring processes.
Similarly to our own beliefs at Monitaur about artificial intelligence, Frida Polli, an advocate for this bill, said, “I believe this technology is incredibly positive but it can produce a lot of harms if there isn’t more transparency.” This bill is the first major step towards regulating AI in regards to employment and hiring. However, similar types of legislation are under consideration by the White House, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission, and the European Union.