Eric Loeb, Executive Vice President of Global Government Affairs and Public Policy, Salesforce.
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Across the globe, people celebrated the accomplishments of women in honor of Women’s History Month this March. Many also are reflecting on how we must continue to drive progress toward gender equality in the technology industry. We’ve learned over time new technological advancements often lead to inflection points for women and underrepresented groups—they can either drive inclusion or deepen exclusion.
The Need For The Tech Industry To Step Up
As innovators, the technology we create and advocate for must reflect our priorities. As we expand the horizon on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), we must also implement policies that prevent gender bias. Some popular AI language models are trained on troves of data from unidentified sources, meaning that they can replicate and amplify existing gender biases, exacerbating discriminatory outcomes in areas such as hiring, lending, criminal justice and health.
While we work toward a globally responsible AI framework, the technology industry can’t wait to act responsibly. We must step up now and prioritize building trust in products. The ability to recognize bias in AI is a critical start to understanding the role of data in developing and deploying safe, responsible and trusted AI systems. By prioritizing trust, fairness and inclusivity in AI development, we can mitigate these risks and create technologies that benefit everyone.
Addressing Bias In AI
AI can enhance access to vital services like healthcare and education, especially for underserved populations. If done with care, it can also contribute to economic growth and job opportunities. At the same time, there continues to be substantial digital divide and design bias concerns.
The Salesforce Government Affairs team that I support spent considerable time during the United Nations General Assembly meeting week addressing concerns about the inclusion of women and non-binary people in AI systems and governance, including funding of the startup ecosystem. Since our meetings in September, we have been reminded several times how much improvement is still required here.
The urgency for AI guardrails has increased. We also signed a memorandum of understanding with Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena Ibarra to support the economic empowerment of women and to strengthen future collaboration and drive inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth in the country. Salesforce is a believer in the power of an ecosystem of ideas and of building our business on a foundation of values—with trust and equality being two of them.
Global Collaboration
I’ve seen governments and multilateral organizations from the U.S., the U.K. and Japan to the UN, EU, G7 and OECD create spaces for building out regulatory structures to foster innovation and safety. But to achieve real equity and inclusion takes conscious and committed effort, as well as collaboration across organizations, industries and government.
For example, our work with UNESCO’s Business Council for Ethics of AI is focused on bringing together the private sector and NGOs to promote human rights and ethics as the AI industry continues to grow. Partnerships such as this bring a variety of perspectives to the table, allowing us to develop and test principles that reflect a diverse array of lived experiences.
Additionally, the UN Population Fund Equity 2030 Alliance aims to promote gender equity in science and technology through data-driven strategies. We specifically support this work by reviewing our product development process to find opportunities where gender bias might be removed to make our products even more equitable for all.
Democratizing AI Skills
We as business leaders must embrace the upskilling, reskilling and talent expansion potential ahead of us. That’s never been more important than it is today, as technology skills—especially AI skills—are increasingly critical to economic inclusion and prosperity.
Promoting technology skills training specifically for women is one strategy you can pursue to help women around the world improve their economic prospects and drive inclusive growth. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Upskilling Initiative is a great example of how this comes to life.
Additionally, IBM has tackled the gender gap head-on through a variety of initiatives at an organizational level. Hiring women in tech starts with ensuring that there are enough women to employ, particularly in fields traditionally dominated by men. In 2019, IBM launched STEM for Girls, geared at providing career pathways for up to 200,000 girls in India through scholarships, career counseling and experiential learning experiences.
Once in the workforce, women are often disproportionately faced with work-life challenges. To combat this, IBM started the Global Work/Life Fund, which invests millions to address these challenges through flexibility principles, mentorships and training. After opening to other industries, the program has reached 270 employers and 4.3 million people.
Success is dependent on buy-in from all levels of an organization. Everyone can take steps to advance gender equity, and one of the easiest is to elevate women’s voices. Studies show that women are less likely to speak up in group settings, so making space for women to participate, seeking out women candidates for professional opportunities and providing proper recognition for their work are all ways we can be better allies to our colleagues.
Together, we can create a world where all people have equal opportunity in the workplace, and emerging technologies foster this commitment.
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