A hiring tool that was abandoned

Reports reveal that Amazon dropped an experimental résumé-ranking system after it had learned from historical data to disadvantage women applicants.

Why it is in the museum

Machine learning changes the problem: instead of writing every rule, we provide data and examples. Their gaps and biases can pass into the model too.

What supports this exhibit

Investigative journalism

That the internal system was abandoned after gender bias was identified in its outputs.

Main source: Reuters (2018), reporting on Amazon’s experimental recruiting tool.

The source is listed here, but no direct link is currently available in the register.

What to keep in mind: Reliable journalistic source, not a published technical study.

Ask the exhibit

This small guide uses only the information documented on this exhibit page. If your question goes beyond that evidence, it will say so instead of inventing an answer.

Start with one of the suggested questions above, or type your own.