AI fails to detect depression signs in social media posts by Black Americans, study finds

FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - Analyzing social media using artificial intelligence may pick up signals of depression in white Americans but not in Black counterparts, according to a study that highlights the risk of training AI models for healthcare-related tasks without data from diverse racial and ethnic groups.

The AI model used for the study was more than three times less predictive for depression when applied to Black people who use Meta Platforms' Facebook than for white people, the researchers reported.