In the words of Elsa Halili, “When girls contribute their unique perspectives and talents, it leads to better solutions and a tech industry that is more inclusive for all.”
Elsa Halili is a 17-year-old student from Kosovo studying at the Digital School. She is improving her programming skills and developing innovative projects that embody the potential of the next generation in technology. The Digital School is a partner of UN Women in Kosovo.1to improve the skills of young girls to encourage them to pursue STEM subjects. In this interview, Elsa explains the opportunities and challenges that AI offers in achieving gender equality.
Artificial intelligence (AI) holds enormous potential to transform societies and offers innovative solutions across various sectors. However, as AI systems become more integrated into our everyday lives, it is crucial to address inherent biases that may perpetuate gender inequalities. Ensuring gender equality in the development and deployment of AI is not only a matter of fairness, but also a critical step towards using AI for the greater good. By promoting diverse and inclusive data practices, encouraging transparency, and implementing strong regulations, we can use AI to advance gender equality, empower women and girls, and create a fairer future for all.
“Gender bias in AI refers to the responses generated by AI that tend to favor or favour one gender. To prevent this bias, it is important to train AI models with diverse data. If an AI shows a preference for one gender, training with data representing different genders is crucial to build trust in the AI responses. This approach ensures trust and fairness and teaches the AI to be fair to everyone.
As AI becomes more integrated into various activities and professions, it is essential to establish rules to prevent misuse. Transparency, fairness and accountability are key elements of effective AI governance. We need to ensure that AI works for everyone, not just a select few.
AI can be a powerful tool for gender equality. Because AI is powered by the data we use to train different models, it can help reduce gender inequalities. However, to avoid perpetuating gender bias in AI, careful training of AI models and good data are required.
My brother inspired me to get into the field of arts and technology. While I haven’t had to overcome many obstacles myself, I’ve heard numerous stories of girls being discouraged or underestimated in the tech world. There’s this misconception or stereotype that girls can’t handle it or that it’s not for them. That’s a misguided and damaging notion. Girls are just as capable as anyone else and have the skills to succeed in the tech industry. We just need opportunities and support to prove and show it. Let’s break free of stereotypes and pursue our passions without limitations.
More girls in ICT means more creativity, more diverse perspectives and progress. When girls contribute their unique perspectives and talents, it leads to better solutions and a technology industry that is more inclusive. When more girls get involved, we get better solutions. So, to all the girls out there: technology needs you! Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Your skills and creativity are needed in the world of technology.
1 All references to Kosovo are to be understood in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
