ABCs: Differentiating Algorithmic Bias, Automation Bias, and Automation Complacency

Abstract

Algorithmic bias, automation bias, and automation complacency have been identified as culprits of a variety of human-computer interaction missteps, ethical offenses, and societal harms. However, these three terms are often mistaken and conflated. Students and professionals alike may have difficulty differentiating between the terms and fully understanding the impact of such psychological phenomena on their work and research. A review of relevant literature is conducted in order to establish an overview of historical documentation and analysis of the underlying themes; definitions and examples of each concept are then synthesized in order to provide a holistic understanding of the meaning behind this set of terminology.