are using AI , to cut costs by not hiring people , which then makes the businesses more money .
Where does this leave disabled workers ? Well , due to the complexity of disability , and how each person is affected differently ( no person with the same disability has the same experience ), they ’ re often unemployed or underemployed . Autism is one of the most unemployed disabilities , and those who are autistic and employed , they ’ re often underemployed . It ’ s estimated that 7 in 10 autistic adults are unemployed . To get a job that is meaningful , a person with a disability would need to gain further education , which is not accessible for many , or take low-skill level roles that don ’ t leverage their talents .
There is a program , once touted as the future of hiring and still being used today by Fortune 500 companies as a part of the hiring process . The program compares gestures , facial expressions and mannerisms of people doing video interviews for a position with those who were the most successful employees in that position . The program then recommends which applicants to hire . This is a problematic way of hiring because it immediately filters out disabled applicants like me . People with disabilities can have different mannerisms and expressions than abled people . We can stim , shake or be uncomfortable with eye contact . When taking business courses in college , I was taught that these kinds of things were unprofessional and would go against hiring practices .
What ’ s even more problematic with this program , is that it automatically seeks out signs that an applicant may be disabled by comparing their mannerisms with those of people with known disabilities . What this program and other companies do , is ask if the applicant identifies as disabled or not , or has any accommodation needs . This is often done in the name of inclusivity but is most often used by AI to filter out disabled candidates .
A year ' s income for a single person with a disability in B . C . is roughly $ 16,300 ., while the poverty line is at $ 25,200 ., according to StatsCan . The cost of living for disabled people is also much higher than that of abled people . Medical treatments , therapies , medication , assistive equipment are already expensive , and the costs are increasing . Disabled people are often paid less because we work less , keeping in mind that being disabled is a full-time job in itself .
In theory , having artificial intelligence take our jobs would be a good thing , leaving people to take care of themselves , their family and be able to pursue anything other than work . AI is not the problem , as it ’ s only a tool . The problem comes down to ethics , who is using it and why they use it .
Employers , whether inclusive or not , should strive for equity in their business rather than trying to take the easy route and use AI . Accessible recruitment processes , accommodations , acceptance and workplace training on autism , LGBTQ and racism are all the minimum that an employer or business owner should be doing for their staff .
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