An HR solutions firm is developing software for staffing agencies that uses machine learning.

Preexisting bias is a type of bias that originates from historical or social contexts, such as stereotypes, prejudices, or discriminations. Preexisting bias can affect the data or the algorithm used for machine learning, as well as the outcomes or decisions made by machine learning. Preexisting bias can cause unfair or harmful impacts on certain groups or individuals based on their attributes, such as gender, race, age, or disability3. In this case, the software that uses machine learning generates lower employability scores for women and predicts that women, especially with children, are less likely to get a high-paying job. This indicates that the software has preexisting bias against women, which may reflect the historical or social inequalities or expectations in the labor market.