Column. Why female developers are needed in AI development.
Since AlphaGo and ChatGPT became popular, AI is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. The influence of AI is growing in various fields such as self-driving cars, voice recognition, and medical diagnosis systems, and as a result, it is causing great changes in our social and economic environments. However, in the process, we cannot overlook the potential problems of AI.
In particular, it is time to think deeply about the problem of discrimination that occurs when the data that AI learns is insufficient or biased against a specific race or gender. In order to reduce such bias and develop a more fair AI system, the participation of female developers should become the spirit of the times.
Risks of AI
AI learns based on human data. Therefore, if the learning data used by AI is biased or insufficient for a specific race or gender, the resulting results may also be unfair or distorted. For example, in the past, several AI-based recruitment systems in the United States produced results that discriminated against female applicants. This was because the learning data mainly consisted of resumes from male applicants. As a result, female applicants were said to have been disadvantaged in the hiring process.
In addition, in the case of facial recognition technology, insufficient data on a specific race can lead to inaccurate recognition results. In fact, several studies have reported cases where AI-based facial recognition systems showed large errors in recognizing the faces of black women compared to white men.
This carries the risk of further reinforcing existing discrimination in society and perpetuating unfair treatment of marginalized groups. In cases such as insurance application screening and loan applications, even if we do not know why AI learned from such data, it may indirectly discriminate against a specific gender, group, or race and reinforce discrimination. Since the advent of non-face-to-face interactions and chatbots has reduced the possibility of human intervention, if such invisible bias occurs, it can lead to alienation without even knowing the reason.
The Need for Female Developers
We believe that the participation of female developers in AI development can play a critical role in reducing bias and creating better systems. When developers of various genders, races, and cultural backgrounds work together, the AI they create will handle more comprehensive data. Female developers can provide new insights into the data that AI learns based on their experiences and perspectives, and as a result, prevent AI from discriminating against specific genders or groups.
The participation of female developers is not simply a matter of achieving gender balance, but should play a key role in the process of ensuring that AI fairly treats various classes and groups in our society. Since AI has a significant impact on society, female developers can make important contributions in the overall process of AI development, including data selection, model design, and result analysis.
Structural Issues and Limitations
However, there are structural constraints on female programmers building careers in technology and participating in AI development. Many women still hesitate to start careers in science and technology, and their career opportunities are often limited in the male-dominated technology industry.
In particular, the prejudices and barriers that women face in technology at school or work are obstacles to their growth as programmers. The number of female developers worldwide is said to be about 5% of all developers. In the case of the MZ generation under 30, where social prejudice has decreased, it is said to be 10-13%. The reality is that the number of female developers is significantly lower than that of male developers.
This reality is very regrettable. Structural changes are needed to support and encourage more women to participate in technology. From the education system to the culture at work, it will be important to create an environment where women can confidently challenge themselves in technology.
Conclusion
AI is changing the world we live in, but diverse voices and experiences are needed to make the change fair and balanced. In particular, the participation of female developers can play an important role in reducing the bias of AI and achieving fair technological development.
It is a task for all of us to enable more women to pursue careers in AI development and have their voices heard. In order for AI to become a technology that benefits more people equally, the participation of female developers should become a mega trend through social consideration and fostering a friendly developer culture. This is because women’s active participation in AI development can be the starting point for protecting minorities and the weak and creating diversity in society.
About the author: CEO Ho-kwang Kim has been involved in the blockchain market since 2017. He was in charge of security for Nike’s ‘Run the City’ and is currently interested in projects that bridge social gaps through blockchain.
This column was first published in the Electronic Times on September 10, 2024 and has been translated.
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