"Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world, and if women's perspectives are excluded, we cannot create fair and balanced technology."
Asha Saxena, a professor at Columbia University in the United States, emphasized the importance of women's participation in the advancement of AI during the "Women in STEM Symposium" held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on the 13th.
This event was organized to discuss ways to expand women's participation in AI development ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju on Oct. 10. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for Women In Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) jointly hosted the event.
Professor Saxena has taught AI and entrepreneurship in the United States for the past 18 years. She operates an organization called World Leaders in Data and AI (WLDA) and collaborates with over 120 corporations, including L'Oréal, Chevron, and Google, to support education and networking for women senior leaders.
Professor Saxena said, "AI makes judgments based on data, but if there is no or insufficient female data from the early stages of AI technology development, women become invisible. AI learns gender bias and reproduces it as is."
He cited the example of a new drug developed based on male patient data that showed different effects on women. Professor Saxena stated, "If women are excluded, solutions for half of humanity disappear," adding that "diverse perspectives are necessary for AI to produce fair results."
Professor Saxena noted that the presence of female engineers is crucial to ensure that women are not excluded from AI development. As AI transforms all fields, including research, education, and the arts, it is essential for women to participate as key agents and provide vital perspectives.
He proposed three pillars for practical measures to nurture female talent: "education, opportunities, and policy." He suggested that universities should assist in teaching AI regardless of majors, and industries should provide opportunities by hiring women with diverse experiences. At the same time, he called for the government to establish policies and systems that guarantee women's participation.
Professor Saxena particularly emphasized the need to expand entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities for women in Korea. He suggested, "Large corporations must increase the number of female leaders and create opportunities," and that "small and medium-sized enterprises should facilitate easier access to AI through partnerships with global big tech companies like Microsoft (MS), OpenAI, and Google."
Professor Saxena added, "AI that reflects women's perspectives can bring positive change to society," and emphasized that "we must expand women's leadership for a fair and sustainable digital future."