Section 1.1: AI's Ubiquity in Our Lives

Artificial intelligence subtly influences many aspects of daily life, often without our awareness. According to expert Meredith Broussard, "You encounter AI in numerous unseen ways," whether it's through search engines, facial recognition on your smartphone, or asking your home assistant to play the latest album from Taylor Swift.

However, there's a critical concern: the presence of deep-rooted biases—spanning decades, if not centuries—within the AI technologies we rely on. At The Story Exchange, we've delved into the issues of sexism and racism that have permeated AI, along with potential solutions. Our podcast features two segments: “Ugly Sexist AI” and “The Women in AI Are Talking,” available on Apple Podcasts and other platforms.

Section 1.2: Key Takeaways from the Podcast

Here are three important insights you'll gain:

1. AI is fundamentally mathematical.

   Broussard, an associate professor at New York University and author of Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, explains, "At its core, AI is intricate and fascinating math, but it remains just that—math." This can be misleading since popular media often portrays AI as hyper-intelligent beings, far beyond human capability. In reality, AI has significant limitations, as we will discuss next.

2. The quality of AI is contingent on its creators.

   Understanding this is crucial. If you've ever been frustrated by a person's actions—perhaps a family member with differing political beliefs or a school bully—you can imagine the implications when individuals with questionable ethics develop AI systems. The situation becomes especially troubling when those with sexist or racist ideologies are involved in creating AI technology.

3. Women, particularly women of color, encounter significant barriers in tech.

   To address some of the existing challenges in AI, it's essential to incorporate diverse perspectives into its development. Our podcast includes conversations with female founders of AI startups who openly shared their experiences with gender bias, especially when seeking venture capital. They also offered suggestions for how financial and institutional support could be improved. The future of these changes is yet to be determined.

Guests featured in the podcast include Broussard, Davar Ardalan (founder of IVOW), Sheffie Robinson (Shamrck Education), Carolyn Rodz (Hello Alice), and Eve Logunova (Women in AI and WaiACCELERATE). Each episode highlights music by female creators in AI, such as Taryn Southern and Holly Herndon.

If you're interested in AI and the controversies surrounding it, this podcast is a must-listen. Part 1 runs for 27 minutes, while Part 2 is 20 minutes long.