AEDT (Automated Employment Decision Tool)

An AEDT is the NYC Local Law 144 term for any computational process — including machine learning, statistical modelling, or other AI — that issues a simplified output (score, classification, ranking) used to substantially assist or replace a discretionary employment decision.

Direct answer

An AEDT is, under NYC Local Law 144, an automated tool that produces a score, classification, or ranking that "substantially assists or replaces" a decision to hire or promote someone. If you use one to screen NYC-based candidates, the law requires three things: (1) an independent bias audit within the previous year, (2) a public summary of that audit on your careers page, and (3) at least 10 business days' notice to candidates before the tool is used on them. Who needs to know: every employer hiring in NYC and every vendor selling into NYC employers. This page is an explainer, not legal advice — talk to counsel for your specific case.

In detail

What "substantially assists" means

DCWP's implementing rules say a tool "substantially assists" a decision when (a) it is the only or main criterion, (b) it is weighted more than any other criterion, or (c) it is used to overrule a human conclusion. A résumé filter that drops applicants below a score threshold qualifies. An AI interview that produces a rubric score the recruiter weighs alongside other inputs probably qualifies, depending on how much weight. A tool that surfaces transcripts for a human to read without producing a score probably does not.

When it applies

LL144 binds the employer (and any employment agency) using the AEDT, not just the vendor. It applies when the candidate is in NYC or the role is in NYC. The bias audit itself has to come from an independent third-party auditor and look at selection rates across sex categories, race/ethnicity categories, and their intersections. The audit summary must be posted publicly on the careers page or job posting.

Common misconceptions

AEDT does not mean "any tool that uses AI" — a generic résumé-search keyword match is not an AEDT just because the vendor has "AI" in its name. It also doesn't require the vendor to self-certify; the obligation sits on the employer. "LL144-compliant" on a vendor page typically means the vendor provides the surface (audit log, summary export, notice template) you need to comply — not that the vendor has produced a bias audit for your specific use of their tool. And LL144 is separate from the EU AI Act and from federal EEOC guidance, even though all three touch the same conduct.

Related concepts

The numerical test a bias audit runs is the adverse impact ratio (often called the four-fifths rule). The score produced by the AEDT typically comes from rubric scoring inside an AI first-round interview. Vettika's posture on LL144 (audit log, candidate notice template, exportable summary) is documented on the compliance page.

How Vettika handles it

Vettika provides the per-session audit log and the LL144-shaped summary export an independent auditor needs to produce the bias audit, plus a candidate-notice template for the 10-business-day clock. We are not the auditor — that has to be a third party by law. Full surface on /product/compliance.

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