Thursday, October 1, 2026
Imagine applying for your dream job, or a mortgage for a new home in Nassau County, only to be rejected in seconds by a computer that has never seen your face. This isn’t science fiction; it’s the new reality of the “digital gatekeeper,” artificial intelligence.
A.I. is not a neutral force. It is coded by humans, and because humans have biases, those prejudices are being hardwired into the algorithms now making life-altering decisions for our families. The bias we see in A.I. can crop up at nearly every stage of a model’s development.
These models are often trained on massive amounts of information scraped from the internet — data that already contains the historical prejudices and inaccuracies of the digital world. When AI “learns” from this unvetted information, it doesn’t just collect facts; it absorbs and automates human bias. Without human oversight to filter this scraped data, these models will inevitably exhibit prejudice when they are deployed.
In the workforce, for example, AI is already acting as a gatekeeper. Many companies use automated tools to screen resumes and rank candidates. But because these tools are often trained on historical hiring records, they frequently “learn” to exclude older workers or people with disabilities whose career paths may not match a narrow, pre-programmed “ideal.” A local resident might be rejected not because they lack the skills, but because an algorithm using flawed, scraped data penalizes them for a gap in employment or a non-traditional resume. This isn’t meritocracy; it is automated exclusion.
In health care, these biases can be life-threatening. Many medical models are built on research data that has historically excluded women, communities of color and people with disabilities. And because these models are often trained on data from younger populations, they may fail to recognize how diseases present differently in older adults. For instance, a medical algorithm might misinterpret a symptom in a senior citizen simply because it was never “taught” to recognize the unique physiology of aging. We cannot allow unvetted data to hard-code health disparities into our hospitals, putting lives at risk based on a person’s age or physical ability.
Even the dream of homeownership is at stake. A.I. models often use “proxy factors” to make financial decisions. While these factors may appear neutral, they are often linked to an individual’s race, gender, disability status or age. For many people, these falsely flagged elements can create an invisible barrier to credit and mortgages. Instead of expanding the middle class, unvetted technology can entrench the same inequalities that have kept homeownership out of reach for so many in our community.
The path toward a fair digital future requires more than just legislative action; it requires an informed and engaged public. I encourage New Yorkers to stay vigilant and ask questions when they encounter automated systems in their workplaces, doctors’ offices or financial institutions. You have a right to know if a machine is making a decision that affects your livelihood.
Most important, I urge you to reach out to your representatives and join the conversation about the regulation of these tools. Your stories and your voices are the most powerful tools we have to ensure that our state laws reflect the needs of the people. New York has always been a trailblazer in landmark legislation, and we must lead the way in establishing a framework for the ethical use of technology. We must promote development that is both safe and smart.
By enacting the New York Artificial Intelligence Act (NY AI Act), we can finally establish a formal regulatory framework to protect New Yorkers. This legislation is designed to provide state residents with a shield against algorithmic discrimination by requiring high-risk A.I. systems to undergo independent third-party audits. It shifts the burden of proof from the individual to the entities that develop and deploy these tools, holding them accountable for the fairness and safety of their software.
Through close collaboration between the state and industry partners, we can foster a culture of responsible innovation in which technology serves the public good.
Michaelle Solages represents the 22nd Assembly District and chairs the Committee on Local Government.
