Essential Work Samples for Evaluating AI Ethics Review Skills in Product Design

AI ethics review has become a critical component of responsible product design as artificial intelligence increasingly powers our digital experiences. Companies that prioritize ethical considerations in their AI systems not only mitigate risks but also build trust with users and stakeholders. However, identifying candidates who possess the right combination of technical understanding, ethical reasoning, and practical application skills presents a significant challenge.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's true capabilities in applying ethical frameworks to real-world AI product scenarios. While candidates may articulate theoretical knowledge of AI ethics principles, their ability to identify subtle ethical issues, communicate concerns effectively, and propose practical solutions requires demonstration through hands-on exercises.

The following work samples are designed to evaluate a candidate's proficiency in conducting AI ethics reviews within product design contexts. These exercises assess not only technical knowledge but also critical thinking, communication skills, and the ability to balance ethical considerations with business objectives. By observing candidates work through these scenarios, hiring managers can gain valuable insights into how they would approach ethical challenges in actual product development environments.

Implementing these work samples as part of your interview process will help you identify candidates who can effectively integrate ethical considerations into AI product design, ultimately contributing to more responsible and trustworthy AI systems. These exercises simulate the complex ethical decisions that arise in real-world AI development, providing a window into how candidates would perform in the actual role.

Activity #1: Ethical Issue Identification and Analysis

This activity evaluates a candidate's ability to identify potential ethical issues in an AI product design and analyze their implications. It tests their knowledge of AI ethics principles, critical thinking skills, and ability to recognize subtle ethical concerns that might otherwise be overlooked in the development process.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a detailed product brief for a fictional AI-powered product or feature (e.g., a recommendation system, facial recognition application, automated decision-making tool).
• Include system specifications, intended user base, data sources, and business objectives.
• Deliberately incorporate 3-5 potential ethical issues of varying obviousness (e.g., potential bias in training data, privacy concerns, transparency issues).
• Provide the candidate with the brief 24 hours before the interview to allow for thoughtful analysis.
• Allocate 20-25 minutes for the candidate to present their ethical analysis and 10 minutes for questions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided product brief thoroughly.
• Identify potential ethical issues or concerns with the proposed AI system.
• For each identified issue:
• Explain why it's an ethical concern
• Describe potential impacts on different stakeholders
• Reference relevant ethical principles or frameworks
• Prepare a structured presentation of your findings (10-15 slides or equivalent).
• Be prepared to discuss your analysis and answer questions about your reasoning.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide feedback on one ethical issue the candidate identified well, including their analysis and reasoning.
• Then, highlight one ethical concern they may have missed or could have analyzed more deeply.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5-10 minutes expanding their analysis on the missed or underdeveloped issue, demonstrating how they incorporate feedback.

Activity #2: Ethical Mitigation Strategy Development

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to move beyond identifying ethical issues to developing practical mitigation strategies. It evaluates problem-solving skills, creativity, and understanding of how ethical considerations can be integrated into product design without compromising core functionality.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario describing an AI product that has already been developed but has encountered specific ethical challenges during testing or early deployment.
• Detail 2-3 specific ethical issues (e.g., algorithmic bias affecting certain user groups, unexpected privacy implications, lack of transparency in decision-making).
• Provide relevant constraints such as technical limitations, business requirements, and timeline considerations.
• Allow candidates 30 minutes to develop their mitigation strategies.
• Consider having a product manager or engineer present to ask realistic questions about implementation feasibility.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario and ethical issues presented.
• For each ethical issue, develop a comprehensive mitigation strategy that:
• Addresses the root cause of the ethical concern
• Proposes specific technical and/or procedural solutions
• Considers implementation feasibility within the given constraints
• Balances ethical considerations with business objectives
• Create a one-page summary for each mitigation strategy.
• Be prepared to explain your reasoning and discuss trade-offs in your approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the most promising aspect of one of their mitigation strategies, highlighting its strengths.
• Identify one area where their approach could be improved or might face implementation challenges.
• Give the candidate 10 minutes to revise their strategy based on this feedback, focusing on addressing the identified weakness.

Activity #3: Ethics Review Communication Role Play

This role play evaluates a candidate's ability to effectively communicate ethical concerns to different stakeholders. It tests their communication skills, ability to translate technical and ethical concepts for various audiences, and effectiveness in advocating for ethical considerations in product design.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a scenario involving an AI product with several ethical concerns.
• Assign company representatives to play different stakeholders (e.g., product manager focused on timelines, engineer concerned about technical feasibility, executive focused on business impact).
• Brief these representatives on their characters' priorities and potential resistance points.
• Provide the candidate with a brief description of the AI product and its ethical issues 30 minutes before the exercise.
• Allocate 20-25 minutes for the role play.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided AI product description and ethical concerns.
• Prepare to explain these ethical issues to a cross-functional team of stakeholders.
• During the role play:
• Clearly articulate the ethical concerns in accessible language
• Tailor your communication to address different stakeholders' priorities
• Respond to questions and potential pushback
• Advocate for ethical considerations while acknowledging business and technical realities
• Work toward collaborative solutions that address ethical concerns
• Your goal is not just to identify problems but to build consensus around addressing them.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one aspect of their communication that was particularly effective in conveying ethical concerns.
• Highlight one communication approach that could be improved to better persuade stakeholders.
• Allow the candidate 5-10 minutes to re-approach a specific part of the conversation with a different communication strategy based on the feedback.

Activity #4: Ethics Review Process Design

This activity assesses a candidate's ability to design and implement systematic ethics review processes within product development workflows. It evaluates organizational thinking, process design skills, and understanding of how ethics reviews can be integrated into existing product development methodologies.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a brief describing a company's AI product development process, including key stages, stakeholders, and current challenges related to ethical oversight.
• Include information about company size, resources, development methodology (e.g., agile, waterfall), and any existing ethics guidelines.
• Provide the candidate with this information 24 hours before the interview.
• Allocate 30 minutes for presentation and discussion.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Design a comprehensive ethics review process that could be integrated into the company's existing product development workflow.
• Your process should include:
• Key checkpoints for ethics reviews throughout the development lifecycle
• Roles and responsibilities for different stakeholders
• Documentation and artifacts to be produced
• Methods for identifying and addressing ethical concerns
• Approaches for measuring the effectiveness of the ethics review process
• Create a visual representation of your proposed process (e.g., flowchart, diagram).
• Prepare to explain how your process addresses the specific challenges mentioned in the brief.
• Be ready to discuss implementation considerations, including resource requirements and potential organizational resistance.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the most practical and effective element of their proposed process.
• Identify one aspect that might face implementation challenges or could be refined for greater effectiveness.
• Ask the candidate to spend 10 minutes revising that specific aspect of their process, addressing the identified challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each of these activities requires approximately 30-45 minutes to complete properly, including time for feedback and iteration. Consider spreading them across different interview stages or selecting the 1-2 most relevant to your specific needs. For senior roles, you might want to use more comprehensive exercises, while for junior positions, simplified versions may be appropriate.

Should we use real product examples from our company for these exercises?

While using real examples provides context, it's generally better to create fictional scenarios based on your actual products. This protects confidential information while still testing relevant skills. If you do use real examples, ensure they're either publicly known or properly sanitized of sensitive details.

How do we evaluate candidates who have different ethical frameworks or priorities?

Focus on the candidate's reasoning process rather than whether their conclusions align perfectly with your company's stance. Look for thoughtful analysis, consideration of multiple perspectives, and ability to balance competing priorities. The key is that they can identify ethical issues and propose reasonable approaches, even if their specific ethical framework differs.

What if a candidate identifies ethical issues we hadn't considered in our exercise?

This is actually a positive outcome! It demonstrates the candidate's ability to bring fresh perspectives to ethical reviews. Use this as an opportunity to discuss their insights and consider whether they've identified legitimate concerns that should be incorporated into your thinking.

How can we make these exercises accessible to candidates with different backgrounds?

Provide clear context and avoid assuming specialized knowledge outside the core requirements of the role. Consider offering candidates choices between different scenarios that might better match their experience. Also, be explicit about what you're evaluating—ethical reasoning, communication skills, process design—rather than domain-specific knowledge.

Should we share our company's ethical guidelines before these exercises?

Providing a high-level overview of your company's ethical principles can help candidates understand your priorities, but avoid being too prescriptive. Part of what you're evaluating is how candidates approach ethical reasoning independently, so giving them room to demonstrate their own thinking is valuable.

Effective AI ethics review in product design requires a unique combination of technical understanding, ethical reasoning, and practical implementation skills. By incorporating these work samples into your hiring process, you can better identify candidates who will help your organization build AI products that are not only innovative but also responsible and trustworthy.

These exercises go beyond theoretical knowledge to evaluate how candidates apply ethical principles in realistic scenarios, communicate with stakeholders, and integrate ethics into product development processes. The result is a more thorough assessment that helps you build a team capable of navigating the complex ethical landscape of AI product design.

For more resources to improve your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Descriptions, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator.

Build a complete interview guide for AI Ethics Review skills by signing up for a free Yardstick account here