Standing at the "top" of the field of artificial intelligence, you may be able to name a few, such as: Elon Musk (X), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Tim Cook (Apple), etc., have you found a problem:None of them were women. In fact, the same is true at home.
Recently, an article in the New York Times revealed that the names of the people behind the modern AI movement did not appear on the list, making the field of artificial intelligence a boys' club' club）。Here** is a shocking news to report:A "fictitious" woman was added to the agenda of a software conference because it was all men.
In fact, the historical absence of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) is not new. Since centuries ago, women have been directly excluded from these jobs. However, with the rapid development of AI, there is an opportunity to change this and no longer exclude women from these "important conversations", even though they have been making significant contributions to the AI industry.
If we continue to ignore the presence and contribution of women in the field of AI, we will repeat the mistakes of the past and make the computer field a "man's world" again. However, this is not the case with the truth of history. Long before the advent of computers as we know them, the word "computer" referred to people who performed complex mathematical calculations, and these people were usually women.
For example, British mathematician Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programmer, and her work on analytical machines in the mid-19th century foreshadowed that computers could perform tasks that went beyond mathematical calculations. In the 70s of the 19th century, a group of about 80 women worked in computers at the Harvard Observatory and made great contributions to astronomical research. By the beginning of the 20th century, increased access to education had led to more women training in mathematics, who played a key role in computing.
During the interwar period, women were hired to perform artillery ballistic calculations and played an important role in wartime computer work. Until the 60s of the 20th century, in the early days of the American space program, women were still working in the computer field, such as Katherine Johnson, who was responsible for examining the calculations of early IBM computers in orbital missions in 1962.
However, despite the many significant contributions women make in the field of computing, they rarely receive the recognition and financial compensation they deserve. According to statistics, by 1969, the average salary of a female computer specialist was only two-thirds of that of her male counterparts.
In fact, the neglect of women is not confined to the AI industry, or even to the STEM industry, as historian Bettany Hughes points outWomen make up only 0 in recorded history5%。
Today, women still do a lot of work behind the scenes in the field of AI, while men often receive praise, awards, and publicity. However, as we know, computing and programming are the foundation of artificial intelligence. From the foundation laid by female computer pioneers in the 19th century to the present day, computers have been able to process large amounts of data and greatly improve work efficiency.
Along the way, countless women have done groundbreaking work in the AI industry, including Cassie Kozyrkov, former chief decision scientist at Google, Joy Buolamwini, a Canadian computer scientist, and Mira Murati, CTO at OpenAI, among others.
Despite the gender inequality in the industry, they have made significant progress. However, women are still underrepresented in the AI field. A survey of 4,000 researchers who have presented at major AI conferences shows that women make up only 12% of the group. This neglect is not limited to the AI industry or STEM fields, but is part of a larger systemic problem that affects all individuals who are excluded.
When gender bias and stereotypes permeate the design and development of AI, it can lead to serious consequences. For example,Facebook's job ad platform has been sued by the U.S. government for "discriminating against women."
In addition, the study also found that computer vision systems had a higher error rate when identifying women, especially those with darker skin tones. Therefore, the lack of gender diversity in the field of AI is not only harmful and adversely affecting women, but also a threat to all of us. While improving AI training datasets is one way to address the gender gap, it is equally important to ensure that women are involved in the data collection process.
At the UN Women's Heforshe Summit earlier this year, Hugging Face Researcher Sasha Lucioni noted:"The bias of AI doesn't come out of nowhere, it stems from our thinking that is ingrained in society. ”
As a result, the New York Times report shows that people are beginning to recognize the gender imbalance in AI and are actively working to improve it. The New York Times argues that while the industry has poured millions of dollars into encouraging women to pursue STEM careers, these fields still struggle to retain female employees.
Overall, women's contribution to AI cannot be ignored, and ignoring this will only make it more difficult for AI technology to "break the glass ceiling". We must acknowledge the contribution of women in the field of AI, and only by embracing more female scientists to join this field with a more open mind can we truly usher in a better tomorrow for AI.
The field of artificial intelligence is becoming a men's club
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