The Algorithm Is Not Your Ally: AI Bias in Surgical Hiring

Saturday, October 17, 2026

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM PT

Location: 403A

Co-Presenter(s)

AH

Alexandria L. Harris, MD

Dr.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Lead Presenter(s)

Janice L. Farlow, MD, PhD FACS

Dr.
Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, IU School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN, United States

This talk reviews current evidence on AI bias in physician career decisions and practical approaches to mitigation.

Topics covered:
Otolaryngology-specific findings on AI-generated recommendation letters and text-to-image depictions
Broader evidence from resume screening and hiring algorithms
Mechanisms by which AI systems encode and amplify bias
Strategies for recognizing, questioning, and mitigating algorithmic bias
Emerging regulatory frameworks and their implications for practice

Attendees will leave with evidence-based awareness and actionable steps for evaluating AI tools in their professional contexts.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the evidence for AI bias in physician career decisions, including otolaryngology-specific findings on AI-generated recommendation letters and text-to-image surgeon depictions.
Understand the mechanisms by which AI systems encode and amplify bias, including training data limitations, proxy discrimination, and algorithmic amplification of historical patterns.
Identify strategies to recognize and mitigate AI bias in hiring and selection.