Restoring The Gender Balance In AI
In this opinion piece, Karolyn Gainfort, principal consultant at KJR talks about the dangers of bias in AI, and how to restore the gender balance.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that is pervading everyday lives and conversations. It’s a technology that’s earmarked to change the future of work, how data is interpreted and understood, and even how people interact with day to day objects (such as fridges and speakers). But many are concerned about the impact it will have on jobs, the ethics behind the technology and the biases it can learn.
One of those biases being against women.
In Australia, only 16 per cent of STEM graduates (Higher Education and VET) are women, and 27 per cent of the total STEM workforce is female. This has led to a severe lack of women engineering and constructing AI technology – which could result in an inherent and exclusionary gender bias in the AI judgement process.
If women aren’t encouraged, supported and given opportunities to follow a career path in AI, this incredible technology has the power to unintentionally re-wire how women are viewed and treated.
What are the dangers of bias in AI?
The issue of AI is two-fold. A lack of female input into the programming and development of AI systems means that this “new” technology is founded upon male bias that is intrinsically repeated in compounded algorithms. AI cannot transcend this gender bias because it has its foundations entrenched within it. Old metadata that has been used in the development phase as a primary source of statistical insight is also inherently embedded with racially and sexually biased information.
For example, last year Amazon had to scrap its hiring tool because it favoured male candidates over women. Amazon’s computer models were trained to vet applicants by observing patterns in CVs submitted to the company over a 10-year period. Most came from men, a reflection of male dominance across the tech industry.
The issue therefore lies in what the AI is being taught and by who. If somebody implements AI and uploads it with 20 years’ worth of data and uses that past information to make predictions, it is going to be biased, old and out of date. AI requires a diverse way of thinking – a diverse team will have someone that can look at what the data is, the impact of using it and whether there is a need to take away or add information.
What can employers do to help?
AI is a technology that affects a large proportion of the population – and many Australian businesses and governments are putting their trust in a technology that can make important decisions for them.
The capability to remove gender bias in AI may lie with those women specialising in the technology, but the opportunities to do so can only be provided by businesses who are recognising the issues to start with.
As an employer, it’s important to recognise that the future of successful AI is largely dependent on the contribution and involvement of women in the industry.
However, it isn’t just about filling a quota for women. The diversity of thinking needs to be across the board – looking at different areas of bias. It’s not just women who are at risk of bias.
What else can help restore the gender balance?
Australia has not yet made the changes required to achieve diversity in STEM, with the current under-representation and under-utilisation of women in the STEM workforce posing a threat to Australia’s prosperity.
As a starting point, the government has allocated AU$3.4 million to the cause of “improving STEM equity” in Australia. But there also needs to be more focus on understanding and incorporating non-bias AI to Australian businesses.
In addition to this, non for profit IntelliHQ, cloud platform Amazon Web Services (AWS) and KJR recently launched Australia’s only “Young Women Leaders in Artificial Intelligence (AI) program” – a program specifically designed to promote the representation of women in AI. The program incentivises their career development and brings forward social diversity and equality in AI.
These types of programs and initiatives are crucial in promoting the diverse opportunities and successes women can achieve in STEM. It’s also important to ensure female data scientists are more visible – showing young girls that data science is an accessible career choice for them.
AI is incredible when trained and used correctly
There’s a moral duty to ensure that women have access and support to technically-skilled jobs, not just in AI. As technology rapidly evolves, Australia can’t be in a position where a large majority of the population is ill-equipped to work with new technologies.
If Australian businesses do not ensure that those working in AI are more representative of the society in which they operate, it’s likely that there will continue to be unfair and unbalanced decisions made by AI. It is therefore a business’s responsibility to reach out, foster female confidence and sponsor programs that have culturally improved workplaces.
AI is a creative technology that will enable a lot of positive change in the world – but it needs to be trained and used correctly. Having a diverse range of talent working on the design and development of AI will help applications and algorithms have a more balanced view of society and offer up a wealth of information humans have never had available before.
Latest News
Here Are The Agencies That Made AFR’s Best Places To Work List And What The Industry Can Learn From Them
Did your office not make the list? Make sure your boss shouts at least two schooners at office drinks come Friday.
Get Ready, B&T’s Best Of The Best Is Back With The Top Holding Company Executive Leaders – Creative!
Want to know who the Grandest of the Grand Poobahs in the industry are? Look no further than this exhaustive list.
How A Glittering Campaign Helped The Australian Museum Sell 400,000 Tickets
B&T thoroughly enjoyed the Ramses exhibition at The Australian Museum, despite thinking we were going to the Archibald.
TV Ratings (30/04/2024): A “Shoey” Straight From A Fish’s Mouth Launches The Cheap Seats Into 2024
Last night's TV saw horny farmers beat Lego nerds, who beat fame-obsessed home cooks, who beat a chap with a large fish.
Spotlight Extends Partnership With Starlight Children’s Foundation
B&T always happy to promote the excellent work of the Starlight Foundation. Less so the Starfish Fanciers Foundation.
Amazon’s Advertising Quarterly Revenue Soars To $11.8bn
There are so many Amazon couriers visiting B&T headquarters at the moment our office dog doesn't know who to maul first.
VML Wellington Welcomes Jacob McGregor As Pou Ārahi Māori
McGregor set to lead cultural competency and safety at VML Wellington in important new gig.
“They Grow Up So Fast”: Simon Fowler On Five Years Of ABEL
Abel's CEO talks lessons learned from the agency's first five years. Including staff nicking all the Nespresso capsules.
Kyle & Jackie O Urge Melbourne To Pick A Side
Who can stop Kyle & Jackie O's indelible march into Melbourne radio? Is Peter 'Moony' Moon waiting by the phone?
Future & Taika Waititi Feature In Striking New Global Belvedere Campaign
Not only does drinking vodka make you cool like these dudes, it also has great weight loss properties for the bone idle.
The Fall Of Bonza: A Case Study In How To, And Not To, React In A Crisis
Does the collapse of yet another budget airline hark back to a gentler time of 17 hours spent on a Greyhound bus?
Opinion: Agencies, Be Unique – Stop Using The Word “Unique!”
Trinity P3's Ellie Angell says agencies are overusing the word unique. You could add omnichannel & holisitic to that.
Ex Marketing & Advertising Exec Releases Melanoma Memoir
Ex-adlander Anne Gately has penned a tome to skin cancer. Which is a handy reminder to check your moles, people.
Mamamia Appoint Danni Wright As New Head Of Strategy
Danni Wright takes up Mamamia's strategy reins with a feng shui expert called over positioning of office chaise lounge.
From The Bureau: Championing Competency & Cross-Industry Collaboration
The IAB's Jonas Jaanimagi calls for more specialisation in adtech. Meaning you'll understand it less than you already do.
Rumble Nabs Renee Park From Cutting Edge
Rumble has recruited Renee Park as one of its new sound designers. And it's only right to make some noise about it.
iD Collective Teams Up With City Of Parramatta To Amp Up NRL Fan Experience
Adland's often lampooned for never going further west than Surry Hills. So this Parramatta news is welcome indeed.
Slew Of New Hires At The Company We Keep
The Company We Keep announces new hires. Here's hoping it doesn't impact the RBA's interest rate decision.
UnDigital Announces Brand Refresh Helping Clients Achieve More Than 600% Sales Increase
Warning - this headline comes with some obscene bragging. Much like the B&T editor's 5/8 in the weekend footy tipping.
Microsoft Advertising: “We Make The Complicated Simple”
Microsoft ads wants to make the complicated simple. The total opposite to Korean restaurant menus & the recent Yes vote.
TV Ratings 29/4/24: Farmer Wants A Wife And Lego Masters Lock Horns In Overnight’s Battle
Who won the battle of the big guns - Lego or Farmer Wants A Wife? One thing's for sure, it wasn't Great Train Journeys.
Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists
Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed that the travel and tourism industry spent more than $153 million on advertising in Australia in Q1, 2024 – an increase of 8 per cent from the previous quarter, with TripADeal the biggest spender, followed by Virgin Australia, then the Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel. As many Australians return from […]
IAS Awarded New Responsible AI Certification From Trustarc
Integral Ad Science tossing up over the mahogany or teak frame after being awarded TRUSTe Responsible AI Certification.
AWARD Calls For Hall Of Fame Nominations
B&T's noms for AWARD Hall of Famer includes Louis The Fly, Chums' talking Scottie dog & Mumbrella's coke dealer.
Havas Red Wins PagerDuty PR Account
Havas Red wins PagerDuty's PR. And judging by B&T having to Google PagerDuty, it could probably do with some help.
ACA Poised To Release Results Of 2023 Create Space Census
The Advertising Council unveils date for its census results. Hey, why not coincide it with an office lamington drive?
Why Fear Is Essential To Fernando Machado’s Creativity
If there's anyone B&T loves to chat to, it's fabled marketer Fernando Machado. Although the 5am time difference sucks.
Superdry Drafts AFL’s Patrick Lipinski For New Campaign
B&T fast regretting that poncho we just bought, as it appears the puffer jacket returns as winter's hottest trend.
Elon Musk vs eSafety: Legal Experts Warn That ‘Rogue Operators’ Like X Are Unlikely To Win Federal Court Battle
If this legal stoush boils down to who can afford the better lawyers, B&T's backing Mr Musk every single time.
Amy Poehler Presents First Look At Inside Out 2 At Vivid Sydney 2024
Vivid isn't about freezing your arse off while looking at lights on a wall, as you'll learn with this Amy Poehler news.
Mutinex Launches DataOS Improving Data Warehousing & Quality For MMM Marketers
Work in marketing? Does your data warehousing resemble a teenager's bedroom? Here's a Marie Kondo-approved read.
IMAA Celebrates Three Years Of Group Trade Credit Insurance Deal
Are you a struggling indie? Thinking of firebombing the building for the insurance money? IMAA has you covered here.
Adam Sandler Seemingly ‘Slams’ Ukraine In Pro-Kremlin Campaign
Host of A-list celebs caught slamming Ukraine's president. Thankfully it does have the Milli Vanillis about it.
New Marketing & Comms Agency For Defence & Aerospace Industry Takes Flight
As painful as this is to say, judging by current world events, the bomb & tank industries must be in rude health.
Opinion: Do Punters Want To Wear Your Brand?
This columnist asks do punters want to wear your brand? B&T'd say yes if you were Nike, no if you were Anusol.
WiredCo Builds Portfolio With Appointment To G.J. Gardner Creative Account
WiredCo 'cements' its relationship with home builder G.J. Gardner. Did you see what B&T cheekily did there?