Diverse voices are indispensable in steering the course of data—and its profound impact on AI. In this session, Autumn Nash, software development engineer at AWS and Merry Cimakasky, masters student at Georgia Tech, will facilitate a conversation about the reciprocal benefits that come from investing in and enhancing women's data skills specifically. They will share unique challenges faced by women in tech, which includes military spouses, women of color, and mothers, and will help attendees recognize and emphasize how imperative it is to build and foster a diverse workforce in data to combat bias. Learn how to attract and retain women in data-centric fields, and help to shape more fair and accurate AI.
Diversity doesn't exist to give a warm and fuzzy feeling, it empowers teams to be more innovative, Its directly correlated to an increase in return on investment and is crucial for AI safety and to combat data bias.
“A more diverse workforce is better tooled to identify and remove AI biases as they interpret data, test solutions, and make decisions.” - Sindhu Gangadharan
- hinder equitable progress
- Could cause widespread misinformation
- Privacy violations
- Geo political unrest
- Adversely affect public safety
- Women control or influence 85% of consumer spending - Tech Crunch
- U.S. women control approximately $11 trillion in assets, a number that is expected to grow to $30 trillion by 2030-Forbes
- Researchers believe that the greatest wealth transfer in U.S. history is here. Recent estimates suggest that some $84 trillion will be passed down from older Americans to Millennial and Gen X heirs through 2045—and that $16 trillion will be transferred within the next decade - NY Times
-
1/4 of Technical roles
-
50% leave by 35 (1/8 technical roles)
-
56% leave by mid-career
-
45% of recent layoffs were women
-
Black, Latina, and Indigenous women represent just 4% of all technology workers,in the UK its 0.77%
- Companies led by women are more capital-efficient, achieving 35% higher ROI
- Women-led startups have 12% higher revenue than startups run by men, according to the Kauffman Foundation
The Urgent Need for Bias Mitigation in Large Language Models - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/urgent-need-bias-mitigation-large-language-models-sahil-agarwal-ljvhc/?trackingId=qsUYt4YSOmRxw7Qw8WC3iw%3D%3D
Facial Recognition Tech Secretly Behind Hundreds of Arrests, Investigation Reveals - https://peopleofcolorintech.com/articles/facial-recognition-tech-secretely-behind-hundreds-of-arrests-investigation-reveals/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=facial-recognition-tech-secretely-behind-hundreds-of-arrests-investigation-reveals
Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter - https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter
"A 2015 McKinsey report on 366 public companies found that those in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean, and those in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15% more likely to have returns above the industry mean."
They focus more on facts, They process those facts more carefully, and They are more Innovative.
Advocate for training programs, apprenticeships and Return-ships. These are ways to help people from diverse backgrounds to get into technology that may otherwise not have the opportunity. Volunteer to assist with Career planning, being a Mentor and or Sponsor.
Foster a flexible and inclusive work culture. So you've hired women, but have you created an environment they can thrive in? No one wants to be apart of a team they don’t feel valued or heard in.
Invest in Unbiased interview practices.
Offer family-friendly work policies and benefits for everyone and Flexibility. paternity leave for men and women -proportionate leave helps to establish better early care giving habits
Elevate Women’s voices. Do you have a women coworker who's talked over in meetings? Are your female co workers always force to take notes? This is your chance to be an ally and advocate.
Have you ever considered attended or supported employee resource groups? Volunteer to take notes or do the paper work, so it doesn’t become a only woman's job.
To learn more here is a Medium article I wrote: https://medium.com/@with-enough-coffee/empowering-women-in-data-shaping-an-inclusive-ai-future-693250c1016e