# What is Algorithmic Bias? Definition & Technical Mechanics

> **Source:** [SPIDITS AI AI Glossary](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary)  
> **Category:** Alignment & Safety  
> **Canonical Citation:** [https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/algorithmic-bias](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/algorithmic-bias)

## Definition
Algorithmic Bias (or AI Bias) occurs when a machine learning model generates systematic and repeatable errors that create unfair outcomes, typically due to prejudices or imbalances present in the training datasets.

## Architectural Mechanics & Deep Dive
Algorithmic bias occurs when an AI system systematically produces prejudiced, unfair, or discriminatory outcomes due to skewed training data, flawed assumptions, or poor design choices. Because machine learning models replicate and amplify patterns found in historical datasets, any pre-existing societal bias (such as in hiring, lending, or criminal justice) will be embedded in the model. Mitigating algorithmic bias requires dataset curation, fairness auditing, and post-processing alignment constraints.

## Industry Applications & Real-World Use Cases
Hiring software screening audits, credit scoring validation, facial recognition tuning, and alignment checks.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does bias enter an AI model?
Primarily through the training data. If historical datasets contain human prejudices, underrepresent specific demographics, or contain correlation errors, the model will learn and replicate these biases.

### How can developers mitigate algorithmic bias?
By auditing datasets for balance, using fairness metrics during evaluation, applying data augmentation to represent minorities, and training models with alignment constraints.

## Related Terminology
- [ai-safety](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/ai-safety)
- [alignment](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/alignment)
- [training-data](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/training-data)
- [data-augmentation](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary/data-augmentation)

---
*From the SPIDITS AI Knowledge Base (300+ terms indexed). Explore full technical definitions: [https://spidits.com/ai-glossary](https://spidits.com/ai-glossary)*