As the nation recovers from the COVID-19 economic slowdown, hiring interviews are accelerating even as many of us work from home. A large number of these interviews are conducted via video-conferencing. What some applicants to larger organizations are not told is that their interview is being recorded and analyzed by artificial intelligence tools for voice and behavioral analysis. As a result, it is quite possible that a computer program powered by artificial intelligence will recommend rejecting an applicant. The emergence of the application of artificial intelligence in the daily lives of citizens has drawn the attention of the White House. This article will review a recent initiative by the White House Office of Science and Technology (the OST) to gather information and public opinion on the deployment of artificial intelligence.
The federal government often gathers information about a specialized topic by the use of a public Request for Information (RFI). Following this procedure, the President’s Office on Science and Technology Policy issued an RFI on Public and Private Sector Uses of Biometric Technologies on Oct. 8, 2021. The public was invited to submit information on the current deployments, pilot projects and future proposals in the field of biometric technologies. Specifically, the RFI sought data on the use of these technologies for identity verification, recognition of individuals and the inference of attributes including mental and emotional states.
