Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are perpetuating gender bias, particularly in healthcare, where some AI algorithms make faulty assumptions about women, potentially leading to misdiagnosis.
Ms. Ruby Pryor, CEO of REX, emphasizes the importance of having more women in AI roles to address this bias, highlighting that only 30% of AI talent are women as of 2022.
In an interview with CNA, Pryor stresses that artificial intelligence now influences various aspects of life, from healthcare to financial products. The need for unbiased technologies should not be overlooked.
She points out subtle gender biases online, such as listing male before female in online forms, affecting technology's accessibility. "This may sound like something really little, but it's just one example of a lot of different ways that we could see gender bias perpetuated in technology."
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Pryor advocates for flexible work environments to support more women in AI industry, particularly for mothers.
Interestingly, despite challenges, more Asian Pacific women are showing interest in developing AI skills, which could boost career progression and wages.
Access Partnership's study suggests that women in middle-income countries are particularly interested in AI skills, driven by the potential for higher wages and career advancement opportunities. However, closing the gender bias and gap in the artificial intelligence industry requires government and corporate efforts to upskill workers, especially in STEM education and the ICT sector.
Unfortunately, it's not just the AI industry that is gearing towards gender bias. VCPost also reported that there's no workplace equality for women globally.
"Increasing women's economic participation is the key to amplifying their voices and shaping decisions that affect them directly," said Tea Trumbic, the World Bank's work inequality lead reporter.
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