Bias is eating your AI budget

Bias isn’t just an ethical flaw in AI - it’s a cost center hiding in plain sight. Every few months a high-profile failure proves the point. But the real issue isn’t that AI sometimes behaves unfairly; it’s that biased automation quietly accumulates operational risk, reputational damage, and rework. That’s the very definition of technical debt.

Across digital services, we increasingly see how small, biased decisions compound over time, distorting customer journeys and forcing businesses into cycles of expensive correction. The ethical debate matters, but commercial consequences are becoming far harder to ignore.

The recent Workday lawsuit alleging discriminatory screening practices is one example. Customer service is another area where biased or blunt automation shows its limits. Sensitive scenarios - bereavement, fraud, complaints, major life events - routinely expose where AI fails to read emotional weight of the situation. Instead of reducing friction it can amplify ...