Celebrating women in tech

Last week we shared a blog that was more than usually male-dominated. The David and Goliath story is admittedly hard to re-cast at this point, but tech leaders like Elon Musk, Sam Altman - and the many, many more that get a mention in most AI news stories and op-ed - are probably getting enough headlines already.

Helping restore the balance, it has been an unexpectedly excellent week in tech feminism* here, starting with the official launch of the new Richmond College STEM centre, where awesome young women are learning new practical skills in every high tech teaching room. Building on the theme, we are bringing you a closer look at the contributions of some more key women in AI and technology – women whose work has shaped the field and impacted our daily lives, but who are perhaps less visible because they aren’t on a stage at CPAC, wielding a chainsaw.

Hidden figures

I’m going to resist the urge to take us all the way back to Ada Lovelace – the first computer programmer – and run through a few of our current favourites.

Fei-Fei Li: Revolutionising computer vision

Fei-Fei Li's work has been foundational in advancing computer vision and deep learning. Her most notable contribution is the creation of ImageNet in 2009, a vast visual database that dramatically improved AI systems' ability to recognise and interpret images. This breakthrough has led to practical applications we already take for granted: Improved image search capabilities, enhanced facial recognition technology and advanced medical imaging analysis.

Li's impact extends beyond research. She co-founded AI4ALL, promoting diversity in AI, and recently launched World Labs, focusing on "spatial intelligence" AI technology. We would be significantly further behind without her.

Joy Buolamwini: Exposing AI bias, fixing it

Joy Buolamwini's fascinating research uncovered significant racial and gender biases in AI systems, particularly in facial recognition technology. Her work has led to Major tech companies improving their facial recognition software, increased awareness of AI bias in law enforcement and surveillance and the founding of the strongly-named Algorithmic Justice League to promote equitable AI.

Buolamwini's efforts have sparked crucial conversations about ethics in AI development and implementation. She’s the reason the kinds of things we saw a couple of years ago are less of an issue now (although – let’s be clear – this can be undone in a heartbeat, so let’s not take our eye off the ball).

Cynthia Breazeal: Pioneering social robotics

Cynthia Breazeal has been at the forefront of social robotics, developing robots capable of natural, intuitive communication with humans. Her work has influenced the design of more empathetic AI assistants, applications of social robots in education and healthcare and advances in human-robot interaction.

As MIT's dean for digital learning (pay attention at the back), Breazeal continues to shape the future of AI education and research.

While we’re on robotics I should also give a shout out to Norma Jeane, an Italian artist who created a robot that just wants to be left alone and avoids all human interaction. A victory for the often-underrepresented introvert community. Norma and some of my other favourite tech creatives are well accounted for in this useful summary of non-useful things.

(I would also hard recommend this gift for the introvert in your life, if it ever reaches the mass market. It’s what the Tamagotchi could and perhaps should have been.)

Anyway, back to our final two picks:

Taylor Swift: Exposing AI-powered exploitation

Taylor might not have put in hours of programming time, but the headline-grabbing incident in January 2024, when explicit deepfake images of Swift circulated widely on social media, underscored the risks of digital exploitation and how hard it is to avoid.

It prompted discussions about how easy it had become to create and spread harmful AI-generated content, and highlighted the inadequacy of the protections that are meant to exist on mainstream platforms. It’s always a bit weak to say that it’s important to start the conversation, but it’s also true. Taylor Swift has become a cultural and economic powerhouse and she used her influence to shine a light on issues around copyright and the entertainment industry as well as exploitation of women and girls. Moments like that draw attention to how the experience of hyper-connected young people differs from what their parents and teachers experienced. And that’s how you start a conversation.

Hannah Fry: Improving public understanding of AI

Hannah Fry has played an important role in improving public understanding of mathematics and AI – particularly in the UK. Her contributions include authoring accessible books on AI and algorithms, such as "Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine", as well as hosting popular science programs and advocating for responsible AI development and implementation.

Fry's work has been instrumental in demystifying AI for the general public and promoting critical thinking about its societal impacts.

Hannah Fry is also the subject of one of the best ever troll putdowns on X. George Robertson, a man claiming have 40 years’ experience in capital markets and with his own economics podcast, wrote some ill-considered comments in response to her post (which explained a spreadsheet fail):

“I am getting tired of these chipper young heavily made up tik tok ladies who are offered up as experts just because they go pretty eyes [sic].

“are not my eyes pretty [sic]?”

One reply simply said: “She’s literally president of the maths society dude what more can you possibly want.”

Professor Fry reposted, adding: “That’s it, I’ve found it. My favourite tweet of all time.”

Hard agree, Hannah.

Who’s next?

In case there was any danger of us failing to acknowledge the groundbreaking contributions of everyone mentioned here, this week has been bookended by the awesome women who represent the current and future generations of women in STEM. We started with the amazing students in Richmond and ended at the iNetwork awards, celebrating tech-fuelled innovation in the public sector with our amazing partners in North Yorkshire, including their tech expert Jenny Pan and AI guru Cath Ritchie. You can keep an eye on our Linked In feed and other socials to hear more about our glitzy night of recognition for a genuinely diverse team of innovators.

*An important reminder for anyone who feels a bit twitchy when we use the F-word: Feminism means creating a level playing field where everyone, regardless of gender, has the same chances to succeed and thrive. It's not about giving women advantages over men, but rather removing barriers, equal rights, fair treatment, challenging stereotypes and inclusive progress. Feminism doesn't seek to elevate women above men, but rather to create a society where gender doesn't determine one's opportunities or limitations, promoting a more just and equitable world for all genders.

‍