Unfortunately, the notion is pervasive. The vast majority of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training programs are based on it. One DEI consulting firm states on its website that participants will, on completion of the course, “notice how their unconscious biases have been impacting their interactions with others”—this despite research on unconscious bias showing that it does not consistently predict of problematic behavior. In fact, because of this inconsistency, the British government phased unconscious bias training out of its programming just over a year ago.

Second, the fallacy of equal knowledge also underpins certain curricula on empathy and social and emotional learning (SEL). One of the biggest firms in the world of SEL tweeted last year, “We hold fast to the belief that our work must actively contribute to antiracism.” But the concept of antiracism is itself infused with particular assumptions about how the world works—for example, that the right way to solve social problems is to see them through the lens of race.

Ultimately, these programs are based in the assumption that, by imparting information about the importance of unconscious bias and the need to adopt an antiracist stance, previously reluctant people will see the error of their ways. But this commits the fallacy of equal knowledge by assuming that the same information will lead people to the same position on these issues.