Women’s leadership and decision-making at all levels are vital to improving gender equity and equality, as well as economic, social, and political growth for everyone. So, this Women’s Day we ask Women Leaders from diverse fields – How AI will change the next generation of leaders.
Diversity in AI leadership transcends merely adding different faces to the decision-making table; it involves welcoming and valuing a diversity of perspectives that disrupt and enrich the conventional narrative. Gender diversity does not just add value to AI development—it’s a cornerstone for crafting solutions that are truly inclusive and beneficial across the board. In an era increasingly moulded by AI, positioning women at the forefront of AI leadership becomes not just a goal for achieving gender parity but a business imperative. The unique insights and innovative approaches women bring are indispensable in driving forward the evolution of AI. Thus, it’s essential for women leaders to dedicate themselves to continuous learning and skill advancement, ensuring they not only remain at the cutting edge of AI developments but also lead the charge in shaping a future where AI technologies reflect and serve the full spectrum of human diversity.
In today’s landscape, where AI opens doors to unparalleled growth opportunities, committing to an inclusive approach is vital. This ensures that the journey forward with AI is one where everyone, irrespective of gender, can flourish.
Artificial Intelligence is impacting all aspects of our lives. It is changing the way we interact with one another as well as the way we live our lives and conduct businesses or avail services. There is no sector that has not been impacted by these technologies. Apart from the various applications of Artificial Intelligence, it also has emerged as a key tool for decision-making and can greatly benefit leaders. Many leaders in business and government are leveraging AI-powered technologies to get data-based insights for better decision-making. Leaders using AI for decision-making need to look at 3 key issues:
- How AI can improve Decision-making – Getting the right data from multiple sources and analyzing the data that is available can help policy making. E.g. – Policies regarding Agricultural Commodity prices can be made more effective by AI-based models that can predict crop output based on weather data, cropping patterns and international scenarios. Similarly, disease surveillance data from across the country can help build models that can predict epidemics.
- What are the risks associated with using AI – While there are many benefits of using AI, one should also be aware of the risks and challenges that may adversely impact critical decisions for leaders. AI models are known for errors, bias and hallucinations and it’s always better to be aware of the same. AI can also result in user harm and all democracies are grappling with issues like misinformation and deep fakes. AI-generated images and videos can cause serious harm. Another challenge that leaders need to be aware of is the risks AI poses for Jobs that can be lost to AI-based Bots and tools.
- How can leaders benefit from AI while mitigating the risks – It is very important to be aware of domains and areas in which AI should be applied. AI models work well when the training data is large and diverse. It is important for leaders to get trained in the basics of AI and learn the potential as also risks of using the technology. Leaders also need to invest in the training and capacity building of their teams. Further, to mitigate the impact of AI on jobs, leaders need to ensure reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to ensure that they have the AI skills that will keep them relevant.
Pallavi Singh, Vice President, Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd, a brand Licensee of White-Westinghouse
AI can help change the women leaders of tomorrow and in fact, it is already helping us by providing access to a vast sea of knowledge and making our lifestyles easier by way of micromanaging for us and helping us derive a better work-life balance. It can also be a catalyst for innovation by providing new opportunities and optimizing processes by identifying areas where efficiency can be enhanced. AI can also help reduce the gender bias and gap that exists in our society as information is derived from vast datasets which need to be fair in nature and cannot exist or give accurate representation if a bias exists. More than bias in information, AI can also help in reducing this bias by highlighting fields of work where there is a gender imbalance and help in hiring the right individual for the role.