[kevingadd]

It should be self-evident that if you add race as a variable the resulting function at the very least could easily end up racist. If you add biases to a function it will be biased. Which is fine, sometimes the biases are necessary to solve difficult problems!

Even if you insist that a gradient or mathematical function is unbiased and can never have negative impact based on race or gender or other demographics, you have to explain any resulting negative impact somehow. Saying that the function or gradient is racially biased is a generous interpretation of the situation because it allows the creators to deflect blame towards an error in their mathematics or training set. If you insist on claiming that the training set and mathematics are infallible, one of the only remaining explanations is that the creator intended to discriminate. I'd rather not assume that!

[devalgo]

All you have done is make the case that the data was biased. A mathematical function is not racist.