Identify Attributes That Can Introduce Bias

To help you ensure that your customer profile attributes don’t facilitate intentional or unintentional bias, Einstein Content Selection scans and flags English language profile attributes that can introduce bias. Einstein scans attribute names and attribute values, then notifies you that an attribute you created can introduce bias so that you can decide whether to include, edit, or exclude the attribute.

Salesforce defines bias as using a person's immutable traits to classify them or market to them. Because Einstein bases its selections on the profile attributes that you create, it’s essential that the attributes you create don’t permit or enable harmful bias.

To help you ensure that you don’t introduce bias, Einstein Content Selection flags an attribute if that attribute could intentionally or unintentionally introduce bias when used. Attributes are flagged when the attribute itself as a category could contribute to bias or when the attribute’s values could contribute to bias.

Example
Example A marketer creates an attribute called postal code. In the United States and other countries, postal codes have historically been used for many purposes, including as an indicator of their residents’ race or financial status. For this reason, using a person’s postal code as a factor in marketing to them can influence Einstein Content Selection selections unfairly. So postal code is flagged as a potentially sensitive profile attribute.

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When an attribute that you create is flagged, Einstein Content Selection still allows you to save and use the attribute. Salesforce customers can use a flagged attribute as a way to ensure that they aren’t enabling conscious or unconscious bias. For this reason, the app flags attributes so you can evaluate all the ways that they could be used, then make a responsible decision to keep or discard them.

A guideline that can promote responsible use of attributes is to focus your marketing on behavioral and preferential attributes, not just demographic attributes such as age or gender. Examples of behavioral and preferential attributes include activity preferences and favorited content.

Important
Important Einstein Content Selection evaluates the attribute names you supply, including synonyms, abbreviations, and formatting in its analysis to detect possible bias. Attributes are scanned against a list of English language attribute names only.

Potentially Sensitive Attributes

The following attribute names are flagged, as are their synonyms, abbreviations, and the formatting consistent with their use in English.

Potentially Sensitive Attributes
First or Last Name
Sexual Orientation
Age
Gender or Gender Identity
Race
Postal Code
Nationality
Religion
Marital Status
Disability
Status as Recipient of Public Assistance
Criminal Convictions
Trade Union Memberships
Medical Condition
Financial Status
Political Opinions
Philosophical Beliefs
Family Status, including pregnancy
Genetic Information
Citizenship Status