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November 15, 2024
In This Issue:
 Photo of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission and staff sitting at a table during the October 21 meeting.
At their quarterly meeting on October 21 in Alpena, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission passed a resolution to establish a set of guiding principles for use of artificial intelligence - or AI - in Michigan. They also passed a resolution in support of SB 205-207, bills that would prohibit discrimination in housing based on source of income.
“The use of AI is all but ubiquitous,” said Commission Chair Gloria Lara, “and the speed and extent of its adoption demand we take seriously the dangers of disparate impacts on the people we are charged with protecting. The guiding principles we supported today will help ensure that the use of AI does not result in unintended and discriminatory consequences for many Michiganders.”
Some specific principles called for in the guidelines include:
- Legislation to prevent algorithmic discrimination in the use of AI systems.
- Protections from AI designs which lead to privacy violations or create or perpetuate inequity and bias.
- A designated task force to measure, monitor, and evaluate the impact of AI and prevent any unintended outcomes that may lead to harmful impacts.
- The ability for people to opt out of AI-empowered automated systems in favor of a human alternative, with necessary accommodations for persons with disabilities.
The complete resolution and guiding principles on use of AI are available to review at the links above.
Source of Income Discrimination in Housing
The Commission also unanimously passed a resolution in support of SB 205-207, bills currently in the Michigan Senate that would prohibit source of income discrimination in housing. The full resolution is available here.
2025 Michigan Civil Rights Commission Meeting Schedule
- January 27, 2025 – Detroit
- April 28, 2025 – Flint
- July 23, 2025 – Lansing
- October 27, 2025 - Petoskey
 Photo of MDCR Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr., addressing the crowd during the Flint Open House reception on October 28.
On Monday, October 28, MDCR celebrated the re-opening of an office in Flint with a reception for invited community members and leaders.
In his remarks, Director Johnson reminded everyone of the department's and the Commission's long history of leading on the most pressing civil rights issues of our time, including the Flint water crisis and the oft-quoted Commission report that said the crisis was, in part, the result of racism and bias.
"That is why we are back in Flint. We want the people who live here to see, through our physical presence in their city, that we care about Flint. We care about what happens to them and their children, and we are demonstrating our commitment to this community and its people with this re-opening."
Office Location
The MDCR Flint Office is located on the 5th floor of the State Office Building at 125 E. Union Street, Flint, MI 48502. Please note, MDCR offices are open by appointment only. You may file a complaint of discrimination using the online complaint form or by calling 1-800-482-3604.
MDCR logo against a blue background. Text: We are Hiring!
Join Us!
We are currently hiring Civil Rights Investigators in Marquette, Flint, Lansing, Detroit, and Grand Rapids:
Civil Rights Investigator: MDCR is an administrative law enforcement agency with investigative and enforcement authority. Investigators are responsible for investigating complaint allegations; including interviewing witnesses, analyzing information, investigative report writing, and recording data in a departmental database. Apply by December 1, 2024.
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