Join us on October 11, 2021 for an International Day of the Girl event about the future of AI and why we need more women in the field. Technovation Girls alumnae Michelle Muchilwa (who developed an app to fight plastic pollution in Lake Victoria) will moderate a conversation between Lila Ibrahim, the Chief Operating Officer of DeepMind, and Sana Khareghani, Head of the UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence.
Join us Monday October 11, 2021 at 11:00am EDT on LinkedIn Live
We need more women—especially women of color—in AI.
Artificial Intelligence is changing our world. It holds immense promise—AI tools can help us diagnose and treat diseases, offer faster and safer ways to manufacture products, support farmers to protect their crops from disease, and even help mitigate the effects of climate change. The field is growing fast, with companies spending up to $324 billion on AI-related software, hardware, and services in 2021, and international agencies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) committing to using AI to help meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
AI is shaping the future. But right now too many people—especially women and people of color—don’t have a voice or influence in creating that technology. As a result, many people are being actively harmed because their perspectives are excluded.
We have to ensure that AI tools don’t further perpetuate biases, either inadvertently or explicitly…as they are already doing in medicine, banking, and hiring. It’s not enough to provide better, more diverse data to train AI tools—we also have to ensure minority and vulnerable groups are developing and funding those AI tools. AI’s future success depends on it.
So how do we do that? Join us, DeepMind, and the Office of AI for an open conversation about diversity in AI fields on October 11, where we’ll discuss how we can make sure that the people building the AI shaping tomorrow actually represent the world they’re shaping. Join us live on LinkedIn on October 11, 2021 at 11:00am EDT. Follow the page to get a notification when the stream begins.
About the speakers
When seeking examples of the promise and potential of AI, Technovation looks to DeepMind, an AI research and development company prioritizing safety and ethics alongside innovation and scientific progress. Since 2010 the DeepMind team has made enormous advances in understanding how proteins fold (which can help researchers develop more effective drugs), as well as how to use AI to to autonomously cool data centers and conserve resources—all while also contributing to medical advancements like identifying eye diseases more accurately, detecting breast cancer, and helping doctors treat kidney injuries.
We’re proud that Lila Ibrahim, the Chief Operating Officer of DeepMind will join us to discuss her history in AI, how DeepMind works, and what comes next for the AI fields.
When it comes to stories about the potential of AI, we also look to teenage girls. In the last few years Technovation Girls teams have used AI to help children with speech disorders communicate better, detect cyberbullying, and evaluate the safety of drinking water.Can you imagine the solutions we might collectively develop if we invited, supported, and encouraged girls with ideas like this to stay in technology fields?
We are delighted to be joined by Michelle, a 2021 Technovation Girls alumnae fighting to save Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh-water lake in the world by involving her community in plastic pollution cleanup efforts.
We are also proud to be joined by Sana Khareghani, Head of UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence. The Office for Artificial Intelligence aims to drive responsible and innovative adoption of AI technologies for the benefit of everyone in the UK. This includes taking into account ethical considerations and supporting people to develop the skills and familiarity needed to safely adopt and use AI-powered tools.
Lila Ibrahim, Board Chair of Team4Tech, and the Chief Operating Officer of DeepMind
Lila blends technical expertise with creative leadership in her role as DeepMind’s COO. Originally a microprocessor engineer, she has helped grow some of the world’s leading technology companies including Intel, where she held a series of global roles, venture firm Kleiner Perkins and Coursera, where she was the first executive hire and helped bring education to millions of people around the world. At DeepMind, Lila oversees both technology and organizational infrastructure including Engineering, Operations, and People. She is the co-founder and Chair of education technology non-profit Team4Tech and has previously served on the Board of Gannett, helping it become the largest US print media company. Her exceptional impact has been recognized by a Henry Crown Fellowship from the Aspen Institute and the Anita Borg Institute Award for Social Impact.
Sana Khareghani, Head of the UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence
Holding a BSc in Computer Science and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sana Khareghani has over 20 years’ experience in technology and business across the private and public sectors. She has worked as a software engineer in big corporates and start-ups, as a management consultant advising senior officials throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East, and in HMG, currently and over the past year as Head of the Office for AI – a joint unit between Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Office for AI is putting in place the foundations around: Skills, Access to Data, International and Leadership by the UK AI Council, to underpin the adoption of AI & Data technologies across the economy for the betterment of society. Sana is also on the Advisory Board of Tortoise Media Global AI Index and Bristol Interactive AI Centre for Doctoral Training.
Michelle Muchilwa, Entrepreneur and Technovation Girls Alumna
Michelle is a 16-year-old Ocean Hero, Conrad Challenge Innovator and Technovation Regional Winner from Kisumu, Kenya. After participating in the Ocean Heroes virtual Boot-camp 2020, Michelle and her brother, Jeremy, decided that they wanted to restore Lake Victoria, starting by eradicating plastic pollution. They started Osiepe Sango (Friends of Lake Victoria), an organization working towards restoring Lake Victoria to its pristine condition through the Bring Back Lake Victoria campaign. Her campaign has managed to not only start a conversation on plastic pollution in the Lake Victoria Basin but also mobilize people around East Africa and the world to restore Lake Victoria. She and her brother are now building an app to collect data on plastic pollution in the Lake Basin. She is passionate about finding ways for developing countries to grow their economies without obliterating their natural resources.