Delta is harnessing technology via a commitment with IBM to identify unconscious bias in our advertising, the latest step in our longstanding efforts to reflect diversity and boldly pursue equity in advertising and marketing campaigns.
IBM’s Advertising Fairness Pledge promotes leveraging AI to highlight instances of bias in advertising algorithms, helping teams to assess if content may reflect an unintended bias toward any particular group. As one of the first major corporations to sign the pledge, Delta also expects to drive participation and better understand the impact of bias on marketing campaigns.
“We’ve long been focused on inclusive representation in our advertising, and this initiative provides powerful new tools to make sure we avoid unconscious bias,” said Emmakate Young. “This is a next step in our broader effort to drive equity and champion diversity across all aspects of our business.”
Although often unintentional, bias can affect marketing and digital advertising content when human assumptions and judgments are encoded into technology used to purchase and distribute ads. The bias can result in campaigns that unfairly target or exclude certain groups.
In 2021, IBM launched a research initiative to study bias in ad technology, which initial findings confirmed. The research also demonstrated the effectiveness of AI tools and resources to reduce bias in marketing technology.
Delta’s participation in the initiative is the latest example of its commitment to actively seek diversity, boldly pursue equity and consciously promote inclusion in all aspects of our business.
