Aliah Yacoub’s Post

This weekend, I had the privilege of speaking about gender and AI at the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy in Lima, Peru. In my talk, titled "Women in the AI Economy: Opportunities and Strategies for Inclusive Innovation," I examined the gender gap in AI and put forth possible interventions to increase the representation and influence of women in AI. Following the presentations from invited speakers, we had a lively and solutions-oriented discussion amongst policymakers, centered on mitigating the potential harms of AI on women while amplifying their economic opportunities through AI. Some of the questions we explored were: - How can APEC member economies work together to prevent a proliferation of (potentially conflicting) AI policies? - What research should we conduct to better understand the gendered impact of AI policies? - How can AI be used as a tool to combat gender discrimination? I'm deeply grateful for the support from Chantelle Stratford PSM and the APEC PPWE team, APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC Perú 2024, and the APEC Division of Japan's MOFA for giving me the opportunity to participate in such a complex but urgent conversation.  #APECPeru2024

Bridging the Divide: The Critical Need for #Women in #AI and How Saudi #Vision2030 Helped Bridging the Gender Gap in AI Read on #medium https://lnkd.in/dS62gZUm #ai #artificialintelligence #قمة_الذكاء_الاصطناعي #GainSummit #saudiarabia #السعودية

'It is the responsibility of employers, legislators and technology providers to actively design and use AI to better reflect women’s needs, contexts, experiences, and ideas and help close the digital gender gap.' This interesting factsheet from Business in the Community highlights the impacts and risks of AI through a gender lens. https://lnkd.in/e7mWqVqk  

📣 Exciting News for AI and Gender Equitable AI/ML🌍 NetHope announced the Gender Equitable AI Toolkit! This comprehensive guide is here to ensure that AI and ML technologies promote fairness, inclusivity, and gender equity. 🌟✨ 🔑 Key Principles: Fairness and Inclusivity: Tackling gender biases and involving diverse perspectives. Transparency: Making AI systems open and understandable. Design and Development: Creating culturally sensitive and gender-responsive solutions. Governance and Autonomy: Establishing ethical policies and safeguarding rights. Collaboration and Capacity Building: Fostering partnerships and enhancing skills for responsible AI use. Let's build AI that benefits everyone, leaving no one behind! 🙌💡 #GenderEquity #AIforGood #InclusiveTech #AI #yapayzeka #toplumsalcinsiyet #MachineLearning #NonprofitInnovation #TechForGood #AIfornotbad

And that's a problem. According to the WEF, "The gender gap in AI is caused by the exclusion of women at every stage of the AI life cycle, risking a vastly inequitable economic and technological system in an age where digitalization is fast advancing." How can a technology be equitable and balanced if it isn't built by a balanced and diverse group? Join us as we talk AI and the Human Factor at the next Outlet - a free webinar offered by SheTek. https://lnkd.in/gfq_rkbU #SheTek #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIRevolution #AIGrowth #AIForAll #DiverseAI #WomenInTech

We’re excited to announce the launch of our latest report ‘Understanding Generative Artificial Intelligence’s Implications on Gender Using a Value Chain Approach and a UNGP Lens’ in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme under the Business and Human Rights in Asia programme, funded by the European Union. The impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) are seen as a paradigm-shifting force for businesses. However, the development and deployment of GenAI have also witnessed appreciable human rights consequences such as violent speech, bias and exclusion, and invasion of privacy of often vulnerable and marginalised populations. As GenAI proliferates, it is critical to examine its impact on and risks to different gender groups at the design, development and deployment stages. Our study takes a systematic look at understanding the Human Rights (HR) risks that result from GenAI for women, and gender minorities, and attempts to offer mechanisms for mitigation anchored in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), drawing from the Gender Dimensions principles. In the report, you’ll find: 👉 A gendered human rights risk mapping to GenAI services, with a focus on women and non-binary genders. 👉 Recommendations for developers and deployers of GenAI systems, and policymakers to aid the building of robust GenAI solutions 👉 A value chain of GenAI systems, to help understand the various elements, processes, and stakeholders of GenAI systems. 👉 A toolkit that allows developers and deployers of GenAI systems and solutions to identify sites where such risks might emerge. 👉 An exploration of the policy landscape that helps govern GenAI systems. Read the report 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gyAzDrWj 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gmBhjHTj UNDP in India UNDP in Asia and the Pacific Delegation of the European Union to India UNDP B+HR Kunal Raj Barua Nandini Jiva Ritvik Gupta

I came across this article while browsing through some other readings today and I just thought that AI development is but only one area where gender diversity plays such an important role in achieving gender equity in the digital domain. What will also need further emphasis in developing AI through gender diversity are the specific socio-economic and environmental contexts in which gender discrimination are overtly and covertly revealed to eradicate any discriminatory biases in AI data training sets and there must be a method of ensuring that all views are taken into consideration when developing contextually relevant and trustworthy AI. This also ties in so closely with cultural diversity and ensuring that it is not only one context at the expense pf other contexts that will inform the AI system's "knowledge" and machine learning. Development of something also implies design and such design must also embody gender diversity and respect for the views of not only all who develop an AI system, but all who are to buy into it, use it and trust it. #AI #genderequality #genderequity #genderdiversity #AIdevelopment #AIdesign https://lnkd.in/dpx9dHdf

AI gender equity meaning is likely to be one of the meanings that will dissipate into buzziness. Key important happenings informed by my recent research, as well as the past and current policy and practice discourses; 👉🏾 STEM has been predominantly male dominated industry, which poses a challenge in developing tools and services that cater for needs that are specific for women and girls, and/or consider their unique needs when creating and deploying AI solutions.  👉🏾 Systemic-sponsored unequal power relations, whether in professional fields or in communities, create barriers for women and girls, who have to depend on the good will and occupy the limited space created for them by those who own and control resources. 👉🏾 AI can discriminate women and girls by creating a barrier to unequal access to services, employment, financial assets, or better clinical decisions. 👉🏾 A narrow focus on skilling and/or increasing number of women in AI spaces, musks the nuanced power dynamics within those spaces. From my research this was observable in the way power and control of resources and design spaces is shared in AI development and deployment spaces(particularly in agriculture). 👉🏾 The policy tools are not helping this discourse either, as gender equity keeps getting obscured in broad statements like inclusivity, responsible AI, and ethical AI. Isn't it time we start critically deconstructing these terms and meanings one by one? 👉🏾 I want to re-use the words of Amartya Sen, in his coined word "Missing women", despite focusing on gender mortality. In the next few decades more than a billion women may be missing literary and/or figuratively, due to their narrowed space to harness the power of AI economies, as well as the deep seated unaddressed systemic issues that create barriers different layers of women in the society. Co-creating AI with communities, especially women calls for important terms and meanings to be co-defined, in policy and practice, while keenly focusing on the power dynamics that may limit some groups from participating in these discussions. She doesn't have to watch from the margins, she can be part of the conversation. #ai #genderequity #agtech #cocreating #aiethics #responsibleai

#Artificial #intelligence and machine learning based solutions hold a promise of becoming a transformative force in multiple facets of humanitarian and development work. However, alongside this lies the potential of negative implications in the form of furthering entrenched biases and exacerbating inequality. The the Gender Equitable AI Toolkit from NetHope presents principles developed to provide a framework for ensuring gender equitable AI. NetHope identified 5 sets of principles for gender equitable AI development in the following areas: Fairness and inclusivity. Transparency. Design and development. Governance and autonomy. Collaboration and capacity building. To mitigate risk, it is critical that implementing organizations adopt principles – like the above – and thereby champion gender equity. 1. #Accessibility AI initiatives must tackle challenges related to equitable access to digital resources. This involves bridging the gap for individuals across the globe, especially those in underserved regions. The overarching goal is to protect the rights of individuals and prevent harm in the design and deployment of AI solutions. 2. #Gender-Centricity By establishing comprehensive metrics and objectives that effectively advance both facets, organizations can systematically measure the impact of AI on programmatic effectiveness and gender equity, thereby fostering fairness in the conception and execution of AI technologies. 3. #Bias Mitigation Design and development principles guide the creation of AI systems that are accessible, unbiased, and responsive to the needs and aspirations of diverse individuals and communities. This approach fosters the development of AI systems that are impactful and capable of addressing societal challenges while leaving no one behind. 1. #Gender Centered Design AI initiatives must center solutions around the needs, perspectives, and leadership of priority gender groups at the local level. 2. #Intersectionality AI initiatives should recognize that gender is a critical aspect of an individual’s identity, and that like any human group, deserves dignity and visibility in digital ecosystems. This principle emphasizes moving beyond a monolithic understanding of gender and pushes practitioners to consider gender identity during data collection and curation. 3. #Model Awareness AI initiatives should emphasize the importance of training models in ways that raise awareness of fairness, inclusivity, and equal representation of diverse gender groups. https://lnkd.in/dvvjTxNx

The integration of AI in the digital economy is inevitable and potentially transformative. However, it must be approached with a conscious effort to promote gender equality. Here are some key points from a recent article on the implications of AI for women in the digital economy: 1. Gender Disparity in AI: Women account for only 22% of the workforce in the AI sector globally. This underrepresentation exacerbates the exclusion of women's perspectives in AI development and implementation. 2. AI's Impact on Employment: AI is increasingly taking over roles traditionally held by women, such as customer service and brand ambassadorship, often using female personas for AI systems. This not only reduces job opportunities but also perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes. 3. Need for Inclusive AI Development: Increasing women's participation in AI development is crucial. Diverse teams can bring varied perspectives, leading to more equitable and inclusive AI solutions. 4. Bias Audits for AI Systems: Implementing regular bias audits can help identify and mitigate gender biases in AI systems, ensuring fairer outcomes for all users. 5. Support Programs for Affected Workers: Creating support programs for workers displaced by AI can help them transition to new roles, ensuring that the digital economy remains inclusive and equitable. By addressing these issues proactively, we can harness the benefits of AI while ensuring that the digital economy is a space where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive. What steps can we take today to ensure a more inclusive digital economy tomorrow? #AI #DigitalEconomy #GenderEquality #Inclusion #TechForGood