Artificial intelligence: eliminating bias and stereotypes

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United Nations

During the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week in September, there were multiple side-events focused on the topic of AI, featuring industry experts and UN officials.

In a session titled “Creating New Opportunities for Women in Technology”, Mita Hosali, the Deputy Director of the UN’s News and Media Division, spoke with Sarah Steinberg, Head of Global Public Policy Partnerships at LinkedIn, Tami Bhaumik, Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox, and Hélène Molinier, Senior Advisor on Digital Cooperation at UN Women.

Ms. Hosali began by discussing the lack of female representation in the tech industry, with only about a quarter of employees being women and even less at the executive level. She also noted that women make up only 18% of AI researchers.

Responding to this, Ms. Steinberg shared data from LinkedIn showing that not only are women underrepresented in the tech industry, but their hiring rates are actually decreasing.

Ms. Steinberg warned, “When it comes to industries that are driving the future – such as STEM, the green economy, and AI – women are significantly underrepresented and not making enough progress to close that gap.”

She also mentioned that AI has the potential to create new job opportunities, but in the short term, women are at a higher risk of losing their jobs due to the introduction of AI tools in the economy.

Roblox, an online platform for creating games and experiences, has almost 80 million daily active users. Ms. Bhaumik expressed hope for the future and the potential of generative AI to provide equal opportunities for women, girls, and marginalized individuals.

She stated that Roblox can help “level the playing field for gender equality and amplify the voices of those who are often overlooked.”

Hélène Molinier addressed the issue of bias in AI development, which can have serious real-world consequences. She pointed out that many products contain bias, from image generation to chat bot moderation, and it is the responsibility of humans to decide whether to release these products despite their flaws.

In another side-event, Ms. Hosali interviewed Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, about effective guardrails for AI and how to strike the right balance between protecting individuals and allowing innovation to thrive.

Mr. Singh noted that existing UN norms, such as international treaties and the Sustainable Development Goals, can serve as useful guides. However, he also emphasized the need to bridge the AI divide in the Global South, both in terms of infrastructure and talent.

He called for efforts to focus on three main areas: ensuring that legislators and decision-makers understand the importance of AI as a public good, providing local researchers and innovators with necessary data to develop homegrown solutions, and promoting international cooperation by sharing successful models from other regions.

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