Reading list: Does using fairness measures reduce the accuracy of AI models?
Using fairness measures in AI models can sometimes lead to a reduction in accuracy, but this is not always the case. The impact on accuracy depends on how fairness is implemented and the trade-offs made during the model development process.
When fairness measures are introduced, they often require adjustments to the model to ensure that it treats different demographic groups equitably. For instance, if an AI system is optimized to be fair across different groups (e.g., ensuring similar outcomes for all racial or gender groups), the model might need to make compromises on accuracy for certain groups to balance the performance across others. This can lead to a reduction in overall accuracy if the model is forced to equalize performance across groups that have inherently different characteristics or needs.
However, this reduction in accuracy is not guaranteed. With well-designed fairness strategies, such as adjusting the training data or implementing bias mitigation techniques, it’s possible to minimize the accuracy loss. In some cases, fairness measures may have little to no impact on accuracy or may even improve it if the system becomes more generalizable and adaptable to various demographic groups.

https://www.samyak.com/news-post/what-purpose-do-fairness-measures-serve-in-ai-product-development/