Reimagining Diversity and Ethics in AI

There is an irrational belief in the AI/Tech world that diversity and ethics in AI are two separate and unrelated issues. I am delighted to announce that with more than 20 sessions, 35+ speakers from over 15 countries, Women in AI Ethics annual event (WAIE 2020) on August 27th will showcase various dimensions of diversity and highlight how they impact the ethics of AI. 

We want to inspire our audience to reimagine AI Ethics to include diverse voices from traditionally marginalized groups based on gender, race, ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic class, region, religion, and other dimensions.

Women in AI Ethics (WAIE) initiative is part of our mission to increase recognition, representation, and empowerment of brilliant women in this space. It started with the "100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics" list I published in 2018, which is now a global online directory designed to highlight rising stars as well as aspiring women from non-technical fields so we can make AI more diverse and accessible for everyone.

WAIE 2020 is also our effort to create a more egalitarian space and provide a platform where every woman’s perspective on AI Ethics is welcome regardless of their background, affiliation, class, or privilege. Inclusion of diverse viewpoints will also provide a much-needed change from trendy AI Ethics narratives shaped by voices at male-dominated tech companies and elite institutions. 

Why this and why now? 

Earlier this year, I was horrified to discover that my work in diversity was appropriated without permission to promote an all-white women’s event. What’s more disturbing is that many folks in the AI Ethics community normalized this exclusion despite their tweets and statements in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

This incident became the catalyst for revising our WAIE mission. In July 2020, we reaffirmed our commitment to diversity & ethics in AI by assuming an advocacy role as staying neutral in times of social and racial injustice is ethically and morally unacceptable. You can read more about our intersectional approach to diversity here.

We are building a powerful community where women from marginalized communities are empowered to share their work and personal struggles in a supportive environment. We cannot have a meaningful discussion about the consequences and ethics of AI without including their voices from impacted communities in these critical conversations. 

Join us on Thursday August 27th as we bring together women and allies around the world to discuss the current state of diversity + ethics in AI and build meaningful action plans for progress.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work and support from an amazing group of women who came together to build this powerful event. Meet them below!

Mia Dand, CEO, Lighthouse3

Thoughts from Women in AI Ethics Annual Event - 2020 Program Committee 

We, as the organizing committee are pleased to share with you the 2020 Women in AI Ethics annual event program and the thinking behind it. 

2020 has been a collectively challenging year with the outburst of a global pandemic. Black Lives Matter movement and other collective uprisings around the world have contributed to an increasing awareness of multiple forms of violence and injustices such as racism, colonialism, patriarchy, sexism, heteronormativity to name a few. While AI becomes pervasive in our lives, the same old dynamics of exclusion are often embedded in these technologies. Therefore, it is all the more crucial to build spaces of conscious coalition for collective care and support centering diverse and minoritized voices.  

This Women in AI Ethics is a community of people identifying as woman with “contradictory locations and heterochronic calendars”. It includes inspiring women who made an impact with their work in AI ethics as well as young, promising voices. In other words, it is an organic space shaped by the members and volunteers. This is a space for vulnerability, compassion and solidarity where we learn ‘by doing’ and also making mistakes. This is an open invitation - bring your ideas, bring your story, bring your dreams because we are stronger together! 

This year, our focus has been increasing our global presence by growing our online repository of Women in AI Ethics, finding tools for empowerment such as the mentoring program, increasing the visibility of Black women and LGBTQIA+ members and the representation of women in AI ethics through Wikipedia workshops. 

The annual event has been organized collectively on the basis of volunteering. We wanted the program to reflect the diversity and richness of our community and a delicate balance between micro and macro, personal and collective, vulnerability and empowerment. We aim this event to be a virtual gathering for the WAIE community and an opportunity to make space for newcomers while cross pollinating our ideas and passion for ethical, inclusive AI systems.  

~ WAIE2020 Program Committee: R. Buse ?etin, Ayushi Tandon, Chhavi Chauhan, Merve Hickok, Renée Cummings, Volha Litvinets, Yadira Sanchez