AI & Women
December 15, 2023 - Where are the women in AI?
This will be our next to last newsletter of 2023. I’ll send out my Interruptrr end of year book list next Wednesday, December 20. We’ll be off until the middle of January. Wishing you all a happy, safe, and restful holiday!
He was out. Then he was back in.
A week before Thanksgiving, Open AI, which was founded in 2015 as a non-profit to develop artificial intelligence free from commercial influence, made headlines when its board ousted its CEO, Sam Altman. At issue was the pace of AI development. One camp says Open AI, despite its founding goals to “focus on a positive human impact,” should “move fast and break things,” a motto that Meta (nee Facebook)’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg coined and which became Silicon Valley ethos. Innovation = progress.
Another camp argues that we’ve seen what happens when we move fast — we break things. Social media raced ahead to “connect the world.” In doing so, it also contributed to increased polarization, extremism, and bullying. This camp favors prioritizing safety and ethics in AI development, and remaining true to Open AI’s mission of advancing “digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole.”
Why is AI safety important? I typed that into Chat GPT, the Open AI platform that has taken the world by storm this year.
“AI safety is important for several reasons, especially as artificial intelligence (AI) systems become more advanced and integrated into various aspects of our lives.”
It goes on to list the reasons, which include unintended consequences, unintended biases, miscommunication and misinterpretation, malicious attacks or exploitation, and significant societal changes.
In the case of Open AI, the move fast and break things camp won, leading to the ouster of those urging more thought and restraint.
AI safety has worked its way to the top of leaders’ inboxes. On Halloween, the White House released an Executive Order outlining AI safety protocols. In early November, the British prime minister hosted the AI Safety Summit.
There is cause for concern. Biases are embedded in AI technology, specifically facial recognition. Part of the issue is who is building the technology: white men. Silicon Valley is known for having a disproportionate number of white men as engineers, startup founders, and venture capitalists. Buolamwini talks about how Black people and women are misidentified.
Luba Kassova speaks to the lack of female voices in AI development. She writes,
“Generative AI relies on processing vast datasets of text, images and video, all of which have featured overwhelmingly more men than women in the past. This inherited male bias, mirrored in the news, combined with the structural gaps women face in society today, results in a narrative about Generative AI’s risks, limitations, opportunities, and direction shaped primarily by men.”
There is clearly more work that we need to do outside the tech world to ensure that AI development doesn’t break things. Here at Interruptrr, we’re focused on women providing an equal share of op-eds, analyses, and perspectives in the media. There needs to be more female editors welcoming those women. There must also be an effort put into promoting women into the C-Suite in the corporate world, into judgeships, and while this is probably a bad time to say this, appoint women as presidents of colleges and universities.
Diversity isn’t cosmetic. It’s structural. The reason to have women, people of color, and people from different socio-economic backgrounds isn’t to make someone feel good. It’s to prevent silos and echo chambers. Diversity brings about different perspectives and solutions. That’s why it’s important. — Elmira
Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
Israel-Palestine
We are no strangers to human suffering, but we have seen nothing like the siege of Gaza, write the heads of humanitarian relief organizations including Michelle Nunn, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Abby Maxman, and Janti Soeripto. (NYT)
Amanda Gelender is Jewish and is opposed to Israel’s actions. This, she writes, is not despite her faith, but because of it. (Middle East Eye)
Palestinian women have borne the brunt of the violence in Gaza. Yara Asi on how the current conflict has made accessing healthcare, feminine hygiene products, food, and safety even more difficult for them. (Wilson Center)
“Money has become just paper without any value,” says Samar Mohammed, a 38-year-old teacher who fled from Gaza with her family. Mai Yachi interviews several Gaza civilians on their current living conditions. They share a similar experience — whether they were poor or rich, they are now clustered in the same place, eating the same food. (Al-Monitor)
Cop28
COP28 has concluded. For the first time, the final declaration notes the importance of “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems…” But scientists point out that transitioning away isn’t the same as phasing out. Katharine Sanderson discusses. (Nature)
War has eclipsed climate change from headlines. As COP28 concludes, Ellie Shackleton asks us to consider the incredible harm that bombs and war planes have on the environment. (Inkstick Media)
Also, the next COP is in Baku. Can we have a conversation about how all these oil-producing nations are able to host climate change talks?
EU AI Act
Last Friday, the European Union finalized legislation regulating the development and use of AI within the EU. It is the first legislation that considers AI risks and outlines safeguards for citizen rights — but doesn’t come into force until 2025. At the pace AI technology is developing, that’s a long time from now. Can regulators move at the speed of tech? A number of experts, including Frances Burnell, Rose Jackson, Nicole Lawler, and Trisha Ray weigh in. (Atlantic Council)
US
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington DC this week, in an effort to convince Congress to continue funding his country’s war effort against Russia. The GOP was unmoved. It is holding up Biden’s funding request for Ukraine, demanding that the White House take measures on the border and immigration.
In an effort to make information accessible to more people, the US has taken on a ‘Year of Open Science’ but experts are stumped when it comes to the feasibility of this process. Jessica Farrell says that librarians and archivists could be their answer as they’ve been making data open and accessible for some time. (Nature)
Africa
Tensions are rising between Congo and Rwanda with Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi recently comparing Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame to Hitler. Edith Lederer on the fear of an actual conflict. (AP)
The UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has come up again. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided a defeat on an emergency bill on immigration. Yes, he wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is stunned. She notes that her country is not free and does not uphold human rights. (The Guardian)
The DRC holds elections on December 20. Michelle Gavin on who’s running against incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi and the unlikelihood of these elections delivering meaningful change. (CFR)
Asia
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights celebrated its 75th anniversary on Sunday. Hansa Mehta was an Indian diplomat who played a key role in pushing the UN to adopt the document. Ritumbra Manuvie and Alena Kahle reflect on when India was a human rights leader. (Time)
India’s Supreme Court decided to uphold the decision to rescind Article 370, which grants the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir special status. Pakistan and India have fought over Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. Sudha Ramachandran calls on PM Modi to live up to his promises to “alleviate the suffering of the people” of this region. (The Diplomat)
Electric vehicles are driving a wedge in EU-China relations. Mary Gallagher with the details on this year’s EU-China summit and why electric vehicles were top of mind. (WPR)
Garment workers in Bangladesh are angry as their government continues to refuse to raise the minimum wage for the workers, even as their products make up 85 percent of the nation’s revenue. Fast fashion is destroying lives and workers have started protesting, explains Kamala Thiagarajan. (South China Morning Post)
The Americas
In Argentina, Javier Milei (who is known in this country as “the wig”) was sworn into office last Sunday. In his inauguration speech, he struck a sober tone, noting that Argentina is out of funds and that as he works to implement his economic policy the country would be “worse off.” He wasted no time in devaluing the peso, writes Krystal Hur. (CNN)
What should Argentinians expect from their new president? Lucía Cholakian Herrera weighs in on far-right libertarian Javier Milei after he was sworn in this weekend. (NACLA)
The 15-member Caribbean regional block, CARICOM, brought the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana together on Thursday to work through tensions regarding disputed territory where oil has recently been discovered. Can Caribbean leaders help prevent a war? Jacqueline Charles examines. (Miami Herald)
It remains unclear if Guatemalan president-elect Bernardo Arévalo will be able to take office in January. Though he won in a landslide in August, the country’s far-right political leaders don’t want the progressive and anti-corruption crusader to take office. Can Guatemalans save their democracy? Graciela Mochkofsky discusses. (New Yorker)
Peru’s former autocratic president, Alberto Fujimori, once tried to undermine the political system to remain in power but failed and has since been in prison. His recent release — on humanitarian grounds — aligns with the current government’s growing corruption, explains Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno. (Just Security)
After her predecessor Pedro Castillo was ousted, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte was supposed to help the nation back on its feet, but after a year, her track record is almost just as bad as Castillo’s. Cynthia McClintock, Pedro Francke, Julio Carrión, Rocío del Pilar Verástegui Ledesma, and Eduardo Morón discuss why. (The Dialogue)
Europe
Poland’s parliament voted for Donald Tusk to be its next prime minister. Emily Rauhala and Kate Brady on the end of the country’s right-wing rule and the challenges Tusk must face to repair Poland’s relations with the EU. (Washington Post)
Will Hungary’s leader stand in the way of the EU releasing funds to Ukraine? Maybe. Gabriela Baczynska and Krisztina Than on how EU leaders need to win over Viktor Orbán. (Reuters)
Getting back to the UK’s emergency bill on asylum seekers…. Rashmin Sagoo points out how being a democracy doesn’t make a state immune from attacking the rule of law. (Chatham House)
How should Spain adjust to upcoming changes with the US and EU in 2024? Three experts, Ignacia Ulloa Peters, Diego Area, and Felipe Félix Méndez, suggest a stronger Euro-American relationship. Spain should focus on defending democracy and the international rule of law, promoting green energy transition, and increasing digital governance. (Atlantic Council)
Middle East
Iran is eager for economic cooperation. It’s seeking it with Russia and the Black Sea region, writes Iulia Sabina Joja. (The Hill)
Science and Climate Change
Companies can not see eye-to-eye with global climate goals, say Jenni Black and Pallavi Kalita. Asian companies must reckon with the impact they have had on the natural world – and work to mitigate further risks of ecosystem collapse. (Nikkei Asia)
Iron mining has torn apart Kiruna, a Swedish town near the Arctic. The steel industry is responsible for eight percent of global carbon emissions — and how to reduce it becomes a heavy question in the Arctic, says Isobel Cockerell. (Coda Story)
Technology
AI security could identify violent or harmful situations before they happen but at the potential cost of a huge invasion of privacy. Heather Tal Murphy wonders whether it is worth it, especially with the imperfections of technology. (Slate)
Links We Loved....
Who runs the sleigh? Women. Santa’s reindeer are actually female. I mean, obviously.
We love that Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree is number one on the Billboard 100 for a second week in a row.
We love caramel — and it never goes wrong with apple! Here is a Christmas pie recipe, maybe you will find it to be a good fit for the holiday season!
December 10 marked 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted. While we have a long way to go before the document is fully realized, Eleanor Roosevelt’s words continue to ring true.
Opportunities
An opportunity for foreign policy professionals outside the US. The Hoover Institution International Seminar (HIIS) is taking applications for a seven-day in-person seminar for mid-level international foreign and defense policy professionals at the end of June 2024.
The Young Professionals in Foreign Policy is taking applications for its Rising Experts Program thru December 19.
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Emily Smith