Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) said on Friday it will launch a competition for computer researchers and hackers to identify biases in its image-cropping algorithm, after a group of researchers previously found the algorithm tended to exclude Black people and men
This competition is part of an overall effort to ensure that artificial intelligence technology acts ethically.
In a blog post, the social networking company stated that the bounty competition was meant to identify “potential harms” of this algorithm that were not what they identified.
After criticisms last year regarding image previews in posts that excluded Black faces, the company stated in May that a study conducted by three of its machine-learning researchers revealed an 8% difference in demographic parity favoring women and a 4% favor towards white people.
Twitter made public the code that controls how images are cropped on its Twitter feed. Participants were asked to identify how the algorithm could harm any group, including stereotyping and demeaning them.
Also Read: Johnny Depp wins rare victory against Amber Heard in an ongoing divorce case
The cash prizes range from $500 to $3500. Winners will also be invited to present at the workshop hosted by Twitter at DEF CON, which is one of the largest hacker conferences in Las Vegas.