Despite decades-long, sustained, and focused attention directed at mitigating gender inequalities in AI sectors, it has persisted. Why? We know that the relative absence of gender minorities does not correlate to an absence of talent or knowledge. However, it does correlate to the development and deployment of AI systems that not only sustain but reinforce gender inequalities.
Notably, hiring more gender minorities to work in AI sectors is necessary but not sufficient. As Hajibabaie et al. (2022) write, even when women are hired, gender biases persist in relation to “salaries (Shen, 2013), hiring (Moss-Racusin, Dovidio, Brescoll, Graham & Handelsman, 2012; Nelson & Rogers, 2003; Nielsen, 2016), funding (Witteman, Hendricks, Straus & Tannenbaum, 2019), authorship (West et al., 2013), scientific impact (Larivière, Ni, Gingras, Cronin & Sugimoto, 2013), peer reviews (Murray et al., 2019), and collaboration (Uhly, Visser & Zippel, 2015; Zeng et al., 2016).”
Furthermore, gender minorities experience barriers to participation in qualitatively and quantitatively different ways that researchers need to account for. Intersectional analyses are critical and strikingly absent in conversations around gender inclusivity and in the data collected and reported on this front.
In response to this inequality, in 2023, the Applied AI Institute at Concordia University, in partnership with CREATE SE4AI, launched a mentorship program to promote gender-inclusivity in the AI landscape. The Gender Equity Mentoring in AI (GEMinAI) Program pairs women and gender diverse students to AI professionals for guidance and support along their career paths. By facilitating these mentoring relationships, we aim to create an environment where aspiring AI professionals can thrive, ultimately contributing to a more diverse and inclusive AI landscape.
The goals of this workshop are:
- To outline the current context of gender diversity in AI sectors
- To share best practices and effective strategies for mitigating gender inequality in AI
- To encourage dialogue and collaboration between academic and industry stakeholders on constructive approaches to gender inclusivity in AI sectors
- To build an active community of members committed to advancing gender diversity in AI through novel and interdisciplinary initiatives
The workshop leads, GEMinAI program co-creators Lindsay Rodgers and Lori Akiyama of Concordia University will provide a brief overview of the program structure and outcomes. The workshop will include a moderated panel discussion on “Effective Approaches to Gender Inclusivity in AI” with 4-5 professionals from industry and academia sharing their perspectives on policies and practises that advance gender diversity.
Thu 13 NovDisplayed time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) change
13:00 - 14:30 | WKS 15: Advancing Gender-Inclusive AI through the GEMinAI Program (Part 1)GEMinAI at Room 4 Panel Discussion: Effective Approaches to Gender Inclusivity in AI In this moderated discussion, panelists representing industry, academia and non-profit will share their organization’s novel approaches to tackling the gender issue. What’s working, and where is more effort needed? A Q&A session will allow for ample audience participation and sharing of perspectives and experiences. Panelists: Coming Soon Moderator: Lindsay Rodgers, Knowledge Mobilization Advisor, Applied AI Institute at Concordia University | ||
15:00 - 16:30 | WKS 15: Advancing Gender-Inclusive AI through the GEMinAI Program (Part 2)GEMinAI at Room 4 Breakout Sessions In this interactive session facilitated by the panelists, workshop participants will delve into more in-depth, thematic discussions focusing on topics that correspond to the themes and initiatives presented in the panel discussion. Topics may include: · Gender-responsive AI education and training · Program evaluation and impact assessment tools · Recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies · Inclusive policy frameworks · Feminist epistemologies in machine learning · Mentorship models · Etc. | ||
