If we aren’t careful, dangerous biases can manifest in software applications. Here are some ways to be vigilant to fight bias in tech.
In 2017, a video titled “Is this soap dispenser racist?” took the internet by storm.
In the video, a black person in a restroom is seen struggling to get soap from an automatic soap dispenser. For those unaware as to why and how this happens: automatic soap dispensers are activated when light is refracted off of a surface that is placed beneath it. Given that people with darker skin absorb more light (and reflect less of it), these dispensers often fail to detect the presence of a hand.