A newly filed lawsuit accuses cloud software vendor Workday of providing AI hiring tools that demonstrate bias against job seekers who are Black, disabled, and/or older than 40.
The complaint, filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to represent all job applicants in those protected classes who were turned down for positions due to the alleged discriminatory screening.
- The suit comes from Derek Mobley, a Black man older than 40 who said he has unsuccessfully applied to 80 to 100 jobs that all used Workday's AI screening.
- The suit accuses Workday of marketing the AI tools to customers "to manipulate and configure them in a discriminatory manner to recruit, hire, and onboard employees."
- It also claims Workday's AI systems use algorithms created by humans with built-in biases.
- In response, Workday said it conducts a "risk-based review process" and legal review of its products to ensure there aren't "unintended consequences."
- It argued that the suit lacks merit and the company is "committed to trustworthy AI."
