Fairness Metrics: Quantifying AI's Impact on People

Fairness metrics are mathematical tests that translate the abstract goal of "fairness" into a measurable score, checking if your model treats different groups of people equitably. They are essential for systems making high-stakes decisions about loans, hiring, or criminal justice where biased outcomes have severe consequences. The footgun is that there is no single "best" fairness metric. Optimizing for one, like ensuring equal admission rates (Demographic Parity), may conflict with other definitions of fairness and lead to unintended results.