Is Artificial Intelligence Gender Blind?

What is the first thing that strikes your mind when you hear of the term artificial intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence is the  future of the world. A hot brewing topic of discussion among the Genz these days. In simpler words, AI is the science of making intelligent machines and computer programs. It works primarily to eliminate human error and maintain ethical work by eliminating all prejudices. But are we really achieving this? Well, you will be astonished to know that according to the World Economic Forum (2018), women make up an estimated 22% of employees in  AI positions worldwide. At the same time, and closely related to these issues, there are large gender differences and other biases in the data used to train AI and machine learning systems.

This is not only a question of women's careers, but also of technological development and its impact on society. Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant. What do these voice assistants have in common? The answer is they're all female. You may not have noticed it before, but some people claim that few AI voice automation systems have male voice options. But in reality, the default voice of most voice assistants is female, and most have female names. Apple’s AI is called Siri, a Scandinavian female name. Amazon’s smart assistant isn't Alexander, it's called Alexa. Google assistant may not have a name but its voice certainly is feminine.  Ever since voice assistants entered our lives, tech companies have justified the use of female voices by arguing that studies show that consumers prefer female voices to male voices. This further perpetuates the stereotypes that accompany us in all aspects of our daily lives.

Let's take another example when in 2014, Amazon developed AI based algorithms to rank applicants and streamline the hiring process. Algorithms rated applicants on a scale of 1 to 5 stars based on their resumes. Later on, the company realized that this new system was not rating candidates for software developer jobs and other technical posts in a gender-neutral way. That’s because Amazon's computer model was trained to screen applicants by observing patterns in resumes submitted to the company over a decade. Mostly from men, reflecting male dominance in the tech industry. In fact, Amazon's system has learned to prioritize male candidates. Penalties were imposed on resumes containing the word "woman", such as "woman's chess club captain". It also downgraded graduates of two all-girls colleges, according to a person familiar with the matter.

We have to consider the fact that the women participation in AI is low not because they lack interest or leadership, nor because there are socially ingrained barriers that limit their success. Going back to history, in her 1940s, when computers began to become practical, the original programmers were  mostly female teams. One of her in that group created the code for ENIACs first programmable digital computer. They also developed important coding concepts such as debugging and breakpoints that allows you to stop the program while it's running and find errors more easily. Women, therefore, have an important role to play and are capable of making innovative discoveries.

 From mapping the ocean floor to automating household chores, AI has the power to transform our lives and solve enormous problems. This is in contrast to the popular belief that machines are inherently unfair. They don't feel emotions the way we do, but they learn from their creators in the same way that children learn from their parents and teachers. Given that humans are responsible for building algorithms, social biases are likely to be significant. Because AI tools reflect developer bias, the only way to close the gap is to involve more women and diverse women in the design and development of AI tools.

And it is not because women lack interest or leadership, nor because there are socially ingrained barriers that limit their success. In her 1940s, when computers began to become practical, the original programmers were  mostly female teams. One of her in that group created the code for ENIACs first programmable digital computer. They also developed important coding concepts such as debugging and breakpoints that allows you to stop the program while it's running and find errors more easily. Women, therefore, have an important role to play and are capable of making innovative discoveries.

New technology is a chance for humanity to start fresh. For AI to lead to a better future, humans need to break the mold and ensure an inclusive experience for all users. Failure to pay immediate attention to this software will only reflect human prejudices on a larger scale.

 #LET'S BREAK THE BIAS

Khushi Joshi

B.Com Prog.

Third Year