Re:Tensions in Google's ethical AI group increase as it send...
by webmaven on Thursday December 17, 2020 @12:07PM
(#25457502)
> it just seems so easy to find counterexamples to racist ideas. hate black people? surely i can introduce you to one who is pretty cool. hate whites? they aren't all bad.
The problem here is the presentation of a counterexample in this way is casting it as an exception, and implicitly confirming the validity of the negative stereotype as the default assumption:
This is also the underlying problem with certain compliments, eg. "Wow, you're a really good developer (unlike most women)!", "You're so well spoken (unlike most Black people)!", and so on.
Given the human ability to rationalize, even a never-ending flood of in-your-face counterexamples is more likely to provoke reactions like "Well, women are just less talented developers on average, of course there are exceptions", and so on.
The problem here is the presentation of a counterexample in this way is casting it as an exception, and implicitly confirming the validity of the negative stereotype as the default assumption:
This is also the underlying problem with certain compliments, eg. "Wow, you're a really good developer (unlike most women)!", "You're so well spoken (unlike most Black people)!", and so on.
Given the human ability to rationalize, even a never-ending flood of in-your-face counterexamples is more likely to provoke reactions like "Well, women are just less talented developers on average, of course there are exceptions", and so on.