EOC to step up AI education to prevent hiring discrimination

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) will step up public education on the proper use of artificial intelligence (AI) to promote inclusion and prevent hidden discrimination against job applicants if employers adopt AI tools in recruitment screening, chairwoman Linda Lam Mei-sau said on Monday.

Lam made the remarks at a Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs meeting, where lawmakers raised concerns that AI systems could inadvertently discriminate against applicants based on factors such as age.

Election Committee constituency lawmaker Fan Hoi-ki noted that the Digital Policy Office has issued guidelines on AI technologies and applications that classify model bias as a technical risk requiring proper management.

However, he said the EOC’s work report has not yet addressed or outlined plans to tackle the issue, and asked whether the commission would introduce measures targeting discrimination risks arising from emerging technologies—particularly AI—in its 2026 work plan.

In response, Lam said the commission had previously advised the government to take steps to eliminate bias arising from AI algorithms and welcomed the subsequent guidelines issued by the Digital Policy Office.

She stressed that AI itself is neutral and that the key factor lies in how the technology is used.

Lam said the EOC hopes both the government and the wider community will harness technologies such as speech recognition and real-time captioning to help people with visual or hearing impairments and ethnic minorities improve their daily lives and employment opportunities.

She added that the commission will continue its public education efforts to encourage responsible AI use that promotes inclusion and prevents discrimination.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Roy Chu Lap-wai cited figures showing the commission handled 1,302 complaint cases in 2025, with only 3.6 percent related to the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance.

He expressed concern about the public’s limited understanding of the ordinance and asked whether the EOC would strengthen related publicity and education.

Lam said complaints under the ordinance have remained relatively low. She noted that the commission began promoting public awareness of family-status definitions during a 2021 survey on awareness of the city’s four anti-discrimination laws.

She added that the EOC released a report on family-friendly employment measures in August last year, examining the pressures faced by working carers who must balance employment and caregiving responsibilities, as well as the support employers can provide.

Separately, legislator Chan Wing-kwong raised concerns about alleged discrimination against incoming talent and workers, asking what measures the commission has taken to prevent such discrimination and promote social integration.

Lam replied that the EOC currently does not categorize or compile specific statistics on complaints related to imported workers.

She also noted that the commission will mark its 30th anniversary in May, when it plans to launch a series of public education initiatives—including promotional videos, micro movies, and seminars—to raise awareness of its work and encourage cross-sector collaboration in building a more inclusive society.