techUK’s Women in Digital Ethics and AI Safety, An International Women’s Day Celebration
On the 26th of March, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, over 100 women convened at techUK for a focused conversation on Digital Ethics and AI Safety for inclusive innovation. This event was part of techUK's Tech Together Campaign during Women's History Month and marked the inaugural session of our Decoding Digital Ethics Webinar Series. Our esteemed panelists shared insights and strategies for success in the tech sector drawn from their own experiences. They offered invaluable perspectives on fostering inclusivity and enhancing support systems to cultivate a more diverse talent pool, empowering women in technology. Interwoven within these narratives were spotlighted women-led initiatives, and the panelists made sure to provide actionable steps for the audience, including AI assurance techniques and tools to operationalise AI ethics.
Our speakers included:
- Felicity Burch, Executive Director, Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA)
- Suzanne Brink, Data & AI Ethics Lead, Kainos Group plc
- Elizabeth Seger, Director of CAMS, Demos’ Digital Policy Research Hub
- Abigail Oppong, AI Ethics Researcher at Ghana NLP
The panel discussion kicked off with a discussion around how to make technology truly inclusive. The panel highlighted that to achieve this, technology must be created by a workforce (data and teams) that reflects the diversity of the society it serves. Currently, this is not always the case, leading to some products thatsu inadvertently reinforce privilege and biases. During this session, the panel also discussed the critical next steps needed to effectively address these issues. The recording from the session can be found below alongside timestamped takeaways:
~12:00 - The impact of women in tech: How can we ensure that technology is developed by diverse teams that reflect the society it serves, and what are the potential consequences of not doing so? Further, in what ways do you think the tech industry benefits from diverse perspectives, particularly those of women?
Ensuring diversity in technology development teams is crucial to creating products that reflect and serve the entire society. Without diverse perspectives, products may not meet the needs of various demographic groups. Anecdotes like Felicty's experience with her father's helicopter ‘toilet’ illustrated how products designed without considering diverse perspectives can exclude certain users.
The principle of "nothing about us without us" a key line in the disabled community, emphasises the importance of involving those affected by design decisions from the outset. This involves not only building diverse teams but also actively engaging with end-users throughout the development process. The Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA) conducts public engagement activities and collaborates with other government departments to understand public attitudes and values regarding data and AI use. This approach ensures that technology is designed with the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders in mind, leading to better outcomes for individuals and society.
In terms of consequences, failing to include diverse perspectives can result in products that are biased, inaccessible, or simply not effective for certain groups. This not only limits the potential user base but can also lead to societal inequalities and exacerbate existing disparities.
Furthermore, the tech industry benefits from diverse perspectives, as diverse teams bring a range of viewpoints, experiences, and problem-solving approaches, fostering innovation and creativity. They can also better understand and address the needs of diverse user bases, leading to more inclusive and effective products. Additionally, diverse teams are more representative of the broader population, which can improve trust and acceptance of technology among users.
~15:18 - Practical guidance to attract and retain women in tech: What strategies or initiatives have proven effective in encouraging more women to pursue careers in digital ethics and AI safety roles?
Effective strategies and initiatives to encourage more women to pursue careers in digital ethics and AI include fostering inclusion and participation from a young age, providing supportive environments, and offering role models for inspiration.
Elizabeth highlighted the impact of initiatives like FIRST Robotics, which actively promote inclusion of women and minorities in technology teams. Such programs create a culture of cooperation and integration, making technology accessible and exciting for all. By starting early and emphasising inclusion, these initiatives help women feel like they belong in the tech community.
Similarly, Abigail shared her experience in an all-girl school, where she felt a strong sense of community and empowerment among her peers. This environment showed her the capabilities of women and instilled confidence in her own abilities. However, she also acknowledges the lack of role models in her specific field, particularly in Africa. Despite this, international groups have provided support and mentorship, offering guidance and inspiration for her career journey.
Overall, these initiatives emphasise the importance of creating inclusive spaces early on in development, providing mentorship opportunities, and showcasing diverse role models to encourage women to pursue careers in digital ethics and AI. By building supportive communities and offering guidance, more women can feel empowered to contribute to these fields and make meaningful impacts.
~19:35 - AI in application, AI for recruitment and hiring: As we begin to explore the application of emerging technology to enhance functions like hiring, how can we consider and mitigate potential biases and ethical dilemmas that may arise in AI driven recruitment processes, what strategies can organisations implement to ensure accountability in their use of these technologies?
Felicity and Suzanne discussed strategies for considering and mitigating ethical dilemmas in AI applications, particularly in recruiting and hiring processes.
Felicity highlighted the release of guidance by the RTA on AI in recruiting, emphasising both the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled tools. While AI can improve diversity and inclusion, it also poses risks of perpetuating bias and discrimination. The guidance aims to help organisations procure and deploy AI systems responsibly by focusing on good practices and aligning with regulatory expectations.
Suzanne adds to the discussion by recommending against building in-house HR Tech unless an organisation has the resources and expertise to do so effectively. She emphasises the importance of asking AI assessment providers about construct validity, predicted validity, and reliability to ensure the scientific validity of their tools. Additionally, she suggests treating AI tools as additional panelists in the recruitment process, recognising both their strengths (consistency) and weaknesses (context) compared to human assessors.
Overall, this part of the conversation underscored the importance of considering technology as an augmentation with strengths and weaknesses that must be carefully managed and mitigated across various applications, including recruiting and beyond.
~27:06 - Personal experience, the importance of community and mentorship: Having role models and mentorship is so important, can you share any personal experiences or insights on how another woman in tech has influenced your approach to digital ethics considerations and decision-making? What are some initiatives or projects, action steps led by women in tech that you find particularly helpful, inspiring or impactful?
Elizabeth reflected on the profound influence of a female role model from her high school robotics team and later her admiration for the CEO of her current organisation. She emphasises the importance of having representation and role models in leadership positions, which has guided her career decisions.
Suzanne shares a story from her early career where a female mentor challenged her selfassessment and continues to provide valuable guidance. She highlights the significance of having a supportive network of mentors who offer balanced perspectives and encouragement.
Both Elizabeth and Suzanne emphasise the impact of supportive mentorship and representation in leadership roles, which have been instrumental in their professional development.
~32:30 - Allyship and partnership: In your opinion, what role should male allies play in advocating for gender inclusive digital ethics practices and supporting the advancement of femme folk in tech? And how might organisations create environments that empower women to raise concerns about ethical dilemmas in the workforce or in the products/services they’re developing without fear of backlash?
Elizabeth emphasised the significance of providing a supportive atmosphere where individuals feel safe expressing their opinions.
Abigail shared a personal experience where she advocated for increasing female representation in her technical project team and faced resistance from male colleagues. She emphasises the need to challenge societal stereotypes and demonstrate the value of diversity in teams. Abigail suggests involving men in conversations about the importance of gender diversity to broaden their understanding and support for inclusive practices.
Both Elizabeth and Abigail stress the importance of including women in discussions and initiatives aimed at promoting gender diversity in tech.
~35:35 - Next steps: So, how do we take it back to organisations? How do we make sure voices are heard in the rooms which attendees occupy?
Suzanne emphasised the importance of addressing our own blind spots and implementing iterative feedback loops to gather input from diverse groups in both responsible AI development and workplace inclusion efforts. She encourages a mindset of continuous learning and improvement, recognising that perfectionism may hinder progress.
Elizabeth further underscored the significance of participatory processes and feedback loops in decision-making, advocating for expanding consideration beyond direct users to encompass broader impacts such as environmental effects and workforce diversity.
Abigail highlighted the importance of normalising gender diversity in organisations and involving both men and women in technology development processes from the outset to detect and address issues such as gender bias effectively.
Felicity emphasised the need to focus on fixing organisational processes rather than attempting to fix women, advocating for a cultural shift where processes actively support the involvement of diverse voices at every stage of technology development and usage.
Overall, the panelists emphasised the importance of creating inclusive environments where diverse voices are heard and valued, both in technology development processes and workplace cultures. They stress the need for continuous learning, feedback mechanisms, and organisational support to promote gender-inclusive digital ethics practices and support the advancement of women in tech.
Authors
Tess Buckley
Tess is the Programme Manager for Digital Ethics and AI Safety at techUK.
