Globally, 66 per cent of organisations anticipate becoming more reliant on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) decision-making in the coming years, with 65 per cent believing that there is currently data bias in their organisation, reveals new survey by Progress, an application development and infrastructure software provider.

Biases are often inherited by cultural and personal experiences. When data is collected and used in the training of machine learning models, the models inherit the bias of the people building them, producing unexpected and potentially harmful outcomes. Yet, despite the potential legal and financial pitfalls associated with data bias, there is a lack of understanding around the training, processes and technology needed to tackle data bias successfully.

78 per cent of business and IT decision makers believe data bias will become a bigger concern as AI and ML use increases, but only 13 per cent are currently addressing it and have an ongoing evaluation process. The biggest barriers they see are lack of awareness of potential biases, understanding how to identify bias as well as the lack of available expert resources, such as having access to data scientists.

A significant 77 per cent of organisations feel that they need to be doing more to address data bias, with 51 per cent citing lack of awareness and understanding of biases as a significant barrier to addressing it.

Furthermore, 76 per cent of respondents believe in the positive impact of optimal human-machine collaboration.

John Ainsworth, EVP and General Manager, Application and Data Platform, Progress said every day, bias can negatively impact business operations and decision making – from governance and lost customer trust to financial implications and potential legal and ethical exposure. “We put our customers at the center of everything we do and as we explore all that AI/ML can do, we want to ensure our customers are armed with the right information to make the best decisions to drive their business forward.”

Commissioned by Progress, the survey, “Data Bias: The Hidden Risk of AI,” was conducted by UK-based research firm Insight Avenue. The study's findings were derived from interviews conducted with business and IT professionals from organisations with over 500 employees located in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The purpose of the interviews was to explore the use of data in decision making, assess the level of awareness of data bias, examine its impact on businesses, and evaluate the measures companies were taking to mitigate it.