The Anti-Bias Bot

Uncanny Valley | WIRED · Feb 21, 2020 · 37m

Many companies say they want to diversify their workforce. Far fewer have actually succeeded in doing so, even if they're earnestly trying. And one of the first hurdles can come before any candidates have even been interviewed: The language used in recruiting emails or job postings is often full of unconscious biases—phrases like "gentlemen's agreement" or even "ninja" can deter women or people of color from even applying in the first place.

But how do we check our unconscious biases when, by definition, we don't know what they are? A Seattle startup called Textio says it’s using machine…