Fair Lending in the Age of AI: What’s Legal, What’s Risky, and Who Gets Hurt

Fair lending laws were designed to protect people not algorithms. So what happens when artificial intelligence starts deciding who qualifies for a loan, a mortgage, or financial opportunity?

In this explainer episode, journalist Esther Dillard breaks down how AI is being used in lending, what federal fair lending laws actually require, and where technology is already raising serious civil rights concerns.

This episode is connected to my in-depth conversation with Alphonso David, a nationally recognized civil rights leader and legal expert, who explains how automation and algorithms can quietly reinforce discrimination even without intent.

Youll learn:

How AI is being used in lending decisions today






Why neutral algorithms can still produce biased outcomes






What fair lending laws say and where the gaps are






Why this issue matters now, not later

This explainer sets the stage for the full interview, where we go deeper into accountability, enforcement, and what consumers and policymakers should be paying attention to.