Celebrating International Women’s Day: A Humorous Glimpse into the Gender Divide in AI World!
“International Women’s Day: The Gender Gap in AI”
“Just two and a half percent of venture capital funding goes to female founders and only 12% of AI researchers are women. This lack of diversity is reflected in the systems developed, and there is a risk of skewed AI due to homogenous, male-dominated teams coding and creating AI systems.”
In the spirit of International Women’s Day, that generous 2.5% of venture capital funding given to female mavericks, and the whopping 12% of women who hold positions as AI researchers, forges a stunning example of equality in the tech sector. Right? After all, who cares about perspectives outside of those that prevail in the heavily male-dominated world of artificial intelligence (AI) and tech?
Forget about the old adage that variety is the spice of life. It seems more like the artificial intelligence sphere is cooking up a bland tech stew with the monotonous mantra “gents only”. One might think that having input from a more diverse crowd might, just maybe, make the AI systems more representative of the world at large. But why do something so rational? After all, it seems so much more fun to risk skewing AI to only represent part of the population.
To their credit, it’s not like men in the industry are purposely gatekeeping. Oh no, male-dominated AI teams are simply maintaining the status quo of exclusiveness, purely by accident. What could be the harm in that aside from running the risk of mirroring social bias in datasets and algorithms and fostering an increased lack of trust from users?
AI is rapidly advancing and spreading its tendrils into every aspect of society. In such an age, shouldn’t we be seeking systems that represent a more equitable and diverse perspective? If you’re among those who think that mixing up the usual ingredients of tech teams might bring a refreshing and unexpected flavor to the table, then congratulations! Apparently, you’ve stumbled onto something that good old common sense seems to point out rather obviously.
After all, when developing products for a global population, isn’t it logical to have a developer group that reflects a diverse cross-section of that population? Now, there’s a thought. So, as we move forward, let’s be guided by the audacious belief that women have just as much right, knack, and value to bring to the table in the world of AI and tech. Yes, perhaps it’s time we allowed that a whopping 2.5% to rise, ever so slightly, for the sake of humanity and equity. Paradise? Well, maybe not yet, but it could be a start on the journey toward inclusiveness.