Women in AI

Numerous reports have highlighted a dearth of women in AI research and development and a lack of education opportunity for women.

In 2019, a UNESCO report called I'd blush if I could stated 12% of AI researchers are women — that means 88% are men. It called for various points of action from governments and organizations, including the following:

• stop making digital assistants female by default
• explore the feasibility of developing a neutral "machine gender” for voice assistants that is neither male nor female
• program digital assistants to discourage gender-based insults and abusive language
• develop the advanced technical skills of women and girls so they can steer the creation of new technologies alongside men

Less than a year later, the European Commission released its white paper On artificial intelligence: A European approach to excellence and trust.

It said "particular efforts should be undertaken to increase the number of women trained and employed in this area," citing potential bias in AI systems that are "trained using only or mainly data from men leading to suboptimal results in relation to women."

A report published in 2021 by "ImpactIA" and Women in Digital Switzerland had the "global rate of women in artificial intelligence at 22%" and set a goal of reaching 30% by the year 2026. It lamented that there were many "hidden" female figures in AI, including Joan Clarke, Kathleen Booth, Grace Hopper and Ada Lovelace. (za/fs)

 

Sources:

Advancing women in AI (white paper by ImpactIA and Women in Digital Switzerland) https://mcusercontent.com/e450644717af4edbdee294b6d/files/d6097dd1-75a0-4df7-414f-56155ac82d5d/XS_5_Mo_ImpactIA_WID_Womeninai_English_E.pdf (accessed May 14, 2024)

I'd blush If I could (UNESCO report 2019) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000367416?posInSet=1&queryId=8b00e87f-ecc4-4df1-9831-cdf2fc0f00cb (accessed May 14, 2024)

I'd Blush If I could: a world hit! (UNESCO News) https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/id-blush-if-i-could-world-hit (accessed May 14, 2024)

On Artificial Intelligence - A European approach to excellence and trust (European Commission) https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/d2ec4039-c5be-423a-81ef-b9e44e79825b_en?filename=commission-white-paper-artificial-intelligence-feb2020_en.pdf (accessed May 14, 2024)

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Written and edited by: Zulfikar Abbany (za), Fred Schwaller (fs)