From 1982 to 1986, St George's Hospital Medical School used a program to autonomously select candidates for admissions interviews. The system, designed by staff member Dr. Geoffrey Franglen, used past admission data to select potential students based on their standardized university applications. After the program achieved 90-95% match with the admission panel’s selection of interview candidates, it was entrusted as the primary method to conduct initial applicant screening. In 1986, lecturers at the school recognized that the system was biased against women and members of ethnic minorities and reported the issue to Britain’s Commission for Racial Equality.

From 1982 to 1986, St George's Hospital Medical School used a program to automate a portion of their admissions process that resulted in discrimination against women and members of ethnic minorities.

Moderate

Race, Sex

Harm to civil liberties

A custom designed statistical analysis program that used data from past admissions decisions to select which university applicants to be given admissions interviews.

Dr. Geoffrey Franglen

Human health and social work activities

Cognition

Machine learning

decision support

London, England

St George’s Hospital Medical School, Dr. Geoffrey Franglen, University Central Council for Admission, Commission for Racial Equality

St George’s Hospital Medical School, Dr. Geoffrey Franglen

1982-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

1986-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

Harm caused

Accident

No

United Kingdom's Race Relations Act

Standardized university admission form, Previous admission and regection decisions