David Hanson of Hanson Robotics, Sophia the Robot, and Gillian Au Howard of the Digital Art Fair discussed gender representation and innovating a fairer future in a recent panel. Here are the takeaways, plus details about a new NFT collab
As life becomes more digitised and we hurtle into the metaverse, it’s worth taking a moment to consider what kind of future we’re actually building for ourselves.
If artificial intelligence (AI) is based on data developed by humans, and we know people are biased, there’s a real risk we carry our existing biases forward—or even amplify them.
There’s already been controversy about the use of AI, whether it’s in gendered voice assistants or search results that perpetuate stereotypes. Breaking biases is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day and an ongoing mission of The Women’s Foundation, which hosted a virtual panel on innovating equality on March 4, 2022, with Front & Female’s support as the media partner. Here’s a recap.
AI reflects who we are, so we need the right mindset
AI and robotics don't necessarily present the problem or the solution; it depends on how we use them. “We have to go forward with the right intention and the right mindset and work to do better,” said David Hanson, PhD, founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics. “It becomes a responsibility for AI developers and an opportunity for AI developers to make the world a better place.” Some are already on the case; there are international efforts underway, such as the AI for Good initiative, to clean our data and algorithms.
It’s also the responsibility of leaders to be conscientious about how they hire and the culture they set, according to Hanson, who has made a point to pursue gender representation and general diversity in his teams—and in their creations, which have included male, female, genderless, inter-gender, and African American robots.