https://magnus919.com/tags/systemic-bias/Recent content in Systemic-Bias on Notes from the Rabbit HoleHugoen© [Magnus Hedemark](https://github.com/magnus919)Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:15:00 -0400https://magnus919.com/2025/06/the-architects-of-silence-how-tech-built-a-world-that-only-speaks-english/Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:15:00 -0400https://magnus919.com/2025/06/the-architects-of-silence-how-tech-built-a-world-that-only-speaks-english/<p>Zach Leech had been building products for millions of international users whose voices never reached his Portland office. For three years, <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gammas-head-of-design-on-how-his">his team</a> at Gamma made design decisions based on roughly twenty pieces of English feedback each week. When artificial intelligence finally translated 550 user responses on a Tuesday morning in 2024, Leech discovered patterns that would reshape his understanding of the technology industry&rsquo;s global impact.</p> <p>The CSV file uploading to ChatGPT contained complaints, feature requests, and bug reports in languages <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gammas-head-of-design-on-how-his">Leech&rsquo;s team</a> had systematically ignored. German users struggling with workflows that broke during file exports. Spanish speakers requesting collaborative features for months, their requests categorized as &ldquo;miscellaneous&rdquo; because no one understood the specific use cases being described. Japanese users developing elaborate workarounds for font rendering issues that suggested fundamental problems with character encoding for Asian languages.</p>