Diverse perspectives are critical for building
A.I. that can eectively solve problems for the
populations it serves. But companies need to
do more to retain women in the field.HOW DIVERSITY
CAN POWER THE
FUTURE OF A.I.
CONTENT FROM DELOITTEon connecting all the different dimensions of the
A.I. ecosystem for enterprise companies, there
have been efforts in early education to inspire girls
to take an interest in STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and math), but deep-seated gender
biases and a lack of support and role models still
keep young women from pursuing jobs in the field.
Today, only 27% of STEM jobs are held by women,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Ammanath, who also founded the nonprofit
Humans for AI, wants to change that. “We need to
show women that working in STEM is not only pos-
sible but also cool,” she says. “If we don’t, we risk
young women not even approaching the field due
to preconceived notions.”
But the challenge isn’t just getting women into
the field—it’s also retaining them. Research by
Deloitte found that a higher percentage of women
than men leave tech roles before reaching leader-
ship ranks because of sexual or gender-based
stereotypes. And a survey by the company found
that 57% of women in A.I. had left a job due to
discrimination.
This data has spurred Ammanath and Deloitte
to double down to ensure that women in A.I. are
supported on their path to leadership. The com-
pany champions women through initiatives such as
internal A.I. training programs and enabling internal
communities and support groups. In March, Deloitte
launched “Leading Conversations in AI,” a monthly
series on A.I. featuring only women speakers.
“Platforms highlighting female A.I. pioneers are
crucial for showing women examples of how to rise
professionally, as well as helping to deconstruct
negative cultural stereotypes about women not
belonging in STEM,” says Ammanath.
But, according to Deloitte’s survey of women in
A.I., organizational initiatives alone won’t make the
space more equitable. Companies need to create a
lasting culture of gender equality to make A.I. more
viable for women.
“Organizations should emphasize a culture that
actively promotes gender diversity and inclusivity,
particularly at leadership levels, to help recruit and
retain more talented women,” says Ammanath. “This
will not only benefit the company but is also crucial
for the future of A.I.” ■THE LACK OF WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED JOBS
is a long-standing problem. But their absence in
the field of artificial intelligence (A.I.) is especially
concerning. Diverse perspectives and experiences
are critical for ridding A.I. of unconscious bias;
Gartner predicts that through 2022, 85% of A.I.
projects will deliver erroneous outcomes due to bi-
ases in data, algorithms, or the teams responsible
for managing them. Still, only 12% of machine-
learning researchers are women, per WIRED and
Element AI.
According to Beena Ammanath, executive director
of the Deloitte AI Institute, a center that focusesAbout Deloitte: Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities
DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte
refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be
available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.Platforms highlighting female A.I. pioneers are crucial for showing women
examples of how to rise professionally, as well as helping to deconstruct negative
cultural stereotypes about women not belonging in STEM.
BEENA AMMANATH, Executive Director, Deloitte AI Institute