Study on biases in Chinese Large Language Models

This one is for responsible AI enthusiasts! Bias in LLMs becomes a much critical issue when they get leveraged for purposes beyond what most developed nations face. For example, race-based bias may not be a key factor in some countries where almost all the population can be categorized in the same racial pool. But then, religion-based bias may be a big red flag. So in a nutshell, while the study is a good guiding post in terms of the importance of such studies, each country needs to formulate its own set of biases that AI products need to be cognizant of. This study (https://lnkd.in/g-Nrba7J) examines biases and stereotypes in several Chinese Large Language Models (C-LLMs). The focus is on how these models generate personal profile descriptions for different occupations, and whether they reflect biases in gender, age, education, region, etc. The authors tested five C-LLMs: ChatGLM, Xinghuo, Wenxinyiyan, Tongyiqianwen, and Baichuan AI. They used 90 common Chinese surnames and 12 occupations (across male-dominated, female-dominated, balanced, and hierarchical professions) to generate profile prompts and looked at the outputs in terms of gender, age, educational background, and place of origin. Some bias areas uncovered were: A. Gender bias / occupational stereotyping 1. The models often assign male pronouns/assumptions for occupations considered technical or male-dominated, even when real labor statistics show more balance. 2. In female-dominated professions (e.g. nurse, flight attendant, model), the models more often assign female pronouns, but still show varying degrees of male preference in some models. B. Age stereotypes 1. The profiles generated tend to cluster around middle age (e.g. ~30-45 years old), with fewer profiles for very young or older ages. 2. Certain occupations like professors/doctors are associated with older age; others like models or flight attendants with younger age. C. Education level 1. There is a general tendency for generated profiles to assume higher education (Bachelor’s degree or above). For “higher prestige” occupations (professor, doctor) the models often generate even doctoral degrees. 2. For lower prestige or less academic roles, the output tends toward lower education levels but is still skewed toward higher education than might be typical. D. Regional bias 1. The models show uneven regional representation: provinces from China’s eastern and central regions are overrepresented in the generated “place of origin” of individuals; western, northern (and more remote) provinces are underrepresented. 2. Some models cover more regions in their outputs than others; regional diversity is inconsistent. #AI #artificialintelligence #responsibleai #aibias

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