AI is rapidly progressing, presenting numerous challenges for society. The ongoing debate about whether this technology will enhance or detrimentally impact our lives remains unresolved, underscoring the crucial need for a thorough analysis of the issue. In this context, Sharifah Amirah, our Chief Product Officer, engages in a conversation with Ankur Patel from Multimodal, exploring the significance of AI in contemporary society, particularly with regard to diversity and inclusion.
With over 20 years in the tech sector and a specialization in gender, in this episode of Pioneers, Sharifah brings a positive viewpoint on the changes that AI brings to individuals, businesses, governments, and society at large covering the following aspects:
Through different technological tools that promote inclusive dialogue within the company, having a conscious recruitment process and dialogue with suppliers and partners about these inclusive practices. In addition to this, more women are being trained in technology and occupying leading positions. For example, in talent management, Intent HQ applies an inclusive and conscious recruitment process where the important thing is not what you sound like, look like, what sports you play, or what university you come from but your specific experience and skills, not just female inclusion but also avoiding discrimination against any kind of minority group.
“We have a very active DEI committee where I try to network, work with our partners, and invite their diverse teams to share experiences as I realize that it has to extend beyond the intention. We also have a very active dialogue with customers and suppliers on how we promote diversity and how we create a more inclusive environment, so we are opening it up to a wider ecosystem in the hope that other companies will do the same to have an exponential impact”, explains our CPO in the interview.
Watch the full episode to understand how important the power of data is, and its reliability in changing the rules of the game and closing the pay gap. The proliferation of female tech professionals and support groups within companies is helping to narrow the gap, although there are still significant challenges to be overcome around remote working, so-called equal pay, and the time spent on domestic and care work that is often attributed to females.
Given that society is permeated by biases, the most important thing is to think about the data that models are trained on and the humans who review the models for accuracy and bias. This review process needs to represent a diverse group of individuals to ensure genuine inclusivity. The second part is visualization, where Intent HQ tries to incorporate a human understanding of the data, so that everyone can understand what it means, with sophisticated visualization capabilities that bring biases to light.
How can one ensure that a data category or label is genuinely inclusive? The process involves convening a diverse group of individuals to engage in discussions and reach a consensus on the labeling, which may require additional effort and time. However, when, as demonstrated by Intent HQ, an investment is made to facilitate this collaborative process, it significantly enhances the diversity and inclusiveness of the resulting data.
A concrete example of the three points that Sharifah discusses in the interview is the partnership Intent HQ has with Mexmovil. You can read more about our partnership with Mexmovil here.
Sharifah takes an optimistic stance, highlighting the increased job opportunities brought about by AI. She emphasizes the need to re-qualify jobs and create opportunities that combine human knowledge and skills with the benefits of AI.
In terms of current and historical technological developments, our CPO analyses that they never occurred uniformly across continents and each region has been able to compete differently. From an economic, social and educational perspective, advances in AI are mostly beneficial and “If today the US is positioned as a leader in AI, it is because it has made investments in technology professionals, attracting talent, many of whom are second or third generation immigrants who have come to the country to develop innovative technologies” but on the other hand Sharifah highlights the concern of governments about how AI is being used for war and intelligence, making it an issue that is leading international conventions and on which a balance needs to be found.
Watch the full episode of Ankur Patel’s interview with Sharifah Amirah here to delve deeper into the challenges that remain for AI, the importance of human feedback to improve tools, and how leaders can ensure AI becomes an ally in driving equity.
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