AI Bias Is Real—But So Is Human Bias

When we talk about AI bias, the conversation can feel heavy and even intimidating. But bias isn’t new. We humans have been carrying bias into our decisions forever, and yet, we don’t let it get in our way while we continue to work with and rely on one another every single day.

The whole truth and nothing but the truth is that AI bias comes from three main sources. First, the training data—the patterns, histories, and flaws baked into the information AI was fed. Second, the prompt engineers—the people who designed connections between data, often unconsciously bringing their own perspectives. Third, and most importantly for you as an HR leader, your prompt—the way you frame the question can tilt the AI’s response.

For example, if you ask AI to “explain” someone’s decision, it will likely begin by defending them and their position. But if you ask it to “help you understand their thinking process,” you get a more open, nuanced response. See the difference?

Just like emotional intelligence helps us recognize and work with human biases, developing your AIQ (Artificial Intelligence Quotient) means understanding AI’s biases, spotting their sources, and—most importantly—not letting them control your decisions. The best part is that unlike people, you can literally ask AI about its own biases.

Try adding this snippet to your prompt template:

“After you produce your results, identify 5 possible biases. For each bias, identify the source, generate a 3–5 sentence description, and provide a confidence index (0–10) of how much that bias could influence my decision where 0 = no confidence and 10 is high confidence.”

Suddenly, you’re not just getting answers—you’re building awareness.

Why This Matters for HR Leaders

1. HR Decisions Are Human Decisions
Hiring, promotions, performance evaluations—these are areas where bias can cause serious harm if unchecked. AI can help you spot patterns, but without careful prompting, it may also reinforce existing inequities. By actively asking AI to surface its biases, you make your HR processes more transparent and fairer.

2. Prompts Shape Culture
When you teach your HR team to frame AI prompts carefully, you’re not just improving outputs, you’re shaping how people think about decisions. Instead of asking AI to “justify” actions, you teach your team to explore perspectives, uncover blind spots, and invite collaboration. That shift builds a healthier, bias-aware culture.

3. Transparency Builds Trust
Employees and leaders alike are wary of AI because they fear hidden agendas. Imagine showing them that not only can you use AI responsibly, but you can also audit it by surfacing biases directly. That transparency strengthens organizational trust and positions HR as a forward-thinking leader.

4. AIQ Advantage™ Means ROI
Your AIQ isn’t just a buzzword—it’s your competitive edge. HR leaders who understand how to manage AI bias are better positioned to implement AI across workflows, boost adoption, and prove the ROI of AI initiatives. And with Paul’s AIQ Advantage™ framework, you don’t just learn to prompt better—you learn to AI-enable your workforce.

The AIQ Advantage™ Lens: Building Strategic Capability

This is where the AIQ Advantage™ comes into play. This is a framework that Paul has developed as he works with HR professionals like you to integrate AI into your organization.

Rather than dropping shiny tools into an unprepared organization, the framework guides you through a structured journey:

Inspire → Align → Enable → Accelerate

This builds organizational AIQ (Artificial Intelligence Quotient) and delivers measurable results within 90 days.

• Inspire: Get your teams excited about AI as a partner, not a threat. When HR helps shift the mindset from “AI will replace us” to “AI will enhance us,” adoption soars.

• Align: Use a clear decision framework to decide where to start and avoid wasting your budget on tools that don’t move the needle.

• Enable: Train HR teams to build repeatable prompts, create profiles, and run AI experiments with confidence.

• Accelerate: Show measurable ROI fast by running small, high-impact pilots and scaling what works

By focusing on workflows over tools, you create durable change — the kind that sticks and actually helps HR deliver business results.

Takeaways:

✅ Bias is everywhere with both humans and AI. The difference is you can ask AI to tell you where it might be biased and it will provide answers - not so much with humans.

✅ The way you craft prompts directly influences whether bias gets reinforced or questioned.

✅ Building your AIQ helps HR lead with transparency, fairness, and measurable impact.

Ready to step up your AIQ and lead your organization into smarter, fairer AI adoption? Keep learning, keep prompting, and don’t miss the chance to explore how AIQ Advantage™ can transform your HR practice.

You can learn more about AIQ Advantage™ and download a free overview PDF at ishtot.com.

📄 Prompt of the Week

Use this prompt to conduct a bias audit on your content:

ROLE: Act as an HR data analyst with expertise in bias detection and fairness evaluation.

REQUEST: Review the following HR-related content and identify potential biases that may appear in the information, assumptions, or recommendations.

GOAL: Surface hidden biases, explain their possible sources, and help me make fair, transparent, and informed HR decisions.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Analyze the ###CONTENT-TO-ANALYZE provided below.

• After producing your results, identify 5 possible biases in the output.

• For each bias, describe:

  1. The type of bias (e.g., data bias, framing bias, confirmation bias).

  2. The source of the bias (training data, engineer assumptions, my prompt).

  3. A 3–5 sentence explanation of how this bias could shape the result.

  4. A confidence index (0–10) estimating how strongly the bias might influence the decision.

• Provide recommendations on how to reframe the prompt or data to reduce bias.

OUTPUT FORMAT:

• Summary of main findings (bullet points).

• Table listing each bias with:

  • Bias Type

  • Source

  • Description

  • Confidence Index

• Suggested prompt adjustments to minimize bias.

###CONTENT-TO-ANALYZE:
[insert job posting, performance review language, candidate summary, or other HR material here]

🤩  The Fun Side of AI

Using AI doesn’t have to be all work. Here is a fun way to interact with AI.

Build a Parallel Universe Version of Your Hometown

ROLE:

Act as a world-building expert who creates imaginative and detailed alternate realities.

REQUEST:

Build a parallel universe version of my hometown, with unique rules, culture, and features that make it both recognizable and unfamiliar.

GOAL:

To design a vivid, alternate version of my hometown that balances creativity with some realistic grounding, making it useful for storytelling, brainstorming, or personal reflection.

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Hometown Name and Setting: Use my hometown [insert hometown name] as the base starting point.

- Geography and Environment: Reimagine the landscape and climate. Provide creative twists such as [floating islands, underwater cities, futuristic skylines, desert oasis, volcanic terrain].

- Culture and Traditions: Create unique customs, traditions, or societal rules that would define daily life in this universe.

- Economy and Work: Redesign how people earn a living, with industries or resources such as [time trading, crystal energy, AI-driven farming, barter-only system, interplanetary tourism].

- Architecture and Landmarks: Transform iconic landmarks or create new ones that would stand out in this alternate world.

- Technology Level: Choose the level of technology that drives this society: [advanced futuristic, steampunk, medieval, post-apocalyptic, eco-harmony].

- Social Structure: Define how communities are organized—government, education, family roles, or leadership systems.

- Daily Life: Provide a snapshot of what a typical day looks like for an average person in this universe.

- Conflict or Challenge: Suggest a central tension or challenge that shapes this parallel version of my hometown.

TONE:

[imaginative, whimsical, futuristic, mysterious, playful]

STYLE:

[descriptive narrative, short story, world-building blueprint, travel guide format, academic analysis]

OUTPUT FORMAT:

- Begin with a narrative-style overview of the world.

- Follow with bullet points highlighting key features (culture, economy, landmarks, etc.).

- End with a short vignette showing a “day in the life” of a local.