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Ahead of Australia introducing regulation of AI in recruitment and HR decision-making, there are some steps employers can take to get on the front foot, an expert says.

Mitigating the risk of systemic bias in hiring and promotion processes is not the responsibility of developers alone, says organisational psychologist Dr Matthew Neale – a VP at employment screening company Criteria Corp, which submitted expert testimony when New York City was developing its automated employment decision tools (AEDT) law.

The New York City law, which took effect in July, imposes significant compliance obligations on employers, Neale says. Organisations there now need to inform job applicants when they're using AI systems for evaluation, in case individuals want to opt out; employers must also have an independent bias auditor examine their AI system and report on the extent to which it's giving different classifications to people based on race and gender; and publish the results. If, for example, their system is recommending 60% of male applicants but only 40% of female applicants, they need to disclose that on their careers website...