Mitigating Racial Bias in Healthcare AI Development

Abstract

Physicians are guided by the principle, “first, do no harm,” but in Silicon Valley, software developers embrace a different motto, “move fast, and break things.” These contrasting philosophies clash in healthcare, where machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly influential. The unintentional incorporation of bias in AI development and deployment can be severely damaging to patients’ wellbeing. Our research will review the ways bias in healthcare AI, specifically racial bias, affects patients and current regulations to prevent bias. We will investigate this information to make professional, developmental, and legislative recommendations for stakeholders in healthcare AI to mitigate bias in their work.