ASCenD-BDS: Adaptable, Stochastic and Context-aware framework for Detection of Bias, Discrimination and Stereotyping

TL;DR

This paper introduces ASCenD BDS, a flexible and context-aware framework for detecting biases, discrimination, and stereotyping in language models, adaptable to various cultural and linguistic contexts including India.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, adaptable framework that overcomes dataset limitations by incorporating context-awareness and stochasticity, tailored to specific cultural settings.

Findings

Framework successfully detects biases across multiple categories.

Over 800 STEMs and 31 subcategories developed for Indian context.

Framework tested in product development at SFCLabs.

Abstract

The rapid evolution of Large Language Models (LLMs) has transformed natural language processing but raises critical concerns about biases inherent in their deployment and use across diverse linguistic and sociocultural contexts. This paper presents a framework named ASCenD BDS (Adaptable, Stochastic and Context-aware framework for Detection of Bias, Discrimination and Stereotyping). The framework presents approach to detecting bias, discrimination, stereotyping across various categories such as gender, caste, age, disability, socioeconomic status, linguistic variations, etc., using an approach which is Adaptive, Stochastic and Context-Aware. The existing frameworks rely heavily on usage of datasets to generate scenarios for detection of Bias, Discrimination and Stereotyping. Examples include datasets such as Civil Comments, Wino Gender, WinoBias, BOLD, CrowS Pairs and BBQ. However, such an approach provides point solutions. As a result, these datasets provide a finite number of scenarios for assessment. The current framework overcomes this limitation by having features which enable Adaptability, Stochasticity, Context Awareness. Context awareness can be customized for any nation or culture or sub-culture (for example an organization's unique culture). In this paper, context awareness in the Indian context has been established. Content has been leveraged from Indian Census 2011 to have a commonality of categorization. A framework has been developed using Category, Sub-Category, STEM, X-Factor, Synonym to enable the features for Adaptability, Stochasticity and Context awareness. The framework has been described in detail in Section 3. Overall 800 plus STEMs, 10 Categories, 31 unique SubCategories were developed by a team of consultants at Saint Fox Consultancy Private Ltd. The concept has been tested out in SFCLabs as part of product development.