Tag: AI

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Amazon, LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Black Enterprise, CES, technology to address workforce diversity, plus more

Can technology, including AI/machine learning, help address workforce diversity issues? Companies like SheWorks!, tEQuitable, Atipica, Textio and Pluto are just some of the startups trying to do this, but they have deliberately made this part of their mission. There are also companies like LinkedIn which announced this week it is using AI to recruit more diverse candidates. However, when leveraging technology, some companies may not realize that they may face bias issues they had not predicted, as we saw this week with Amazon. The recruitment engine the company used showed bias against women. More than 50% of HR managers in the U.S. said “artificial intelligence, or AI, would be a regular part of their work within the next five years, according to a 2017 survey by talent software firm CareerBuilder,” so this is something to continue to monitor. Ultimately I think what this also shows is that you need diversity on the management and development side to create viable solutions.

Google and Facebook announced that they are funding a machine learning course in Africa. This is just one example of how companies are trying to address these challenges but there is a lot of work to be done as diversity in tech continues to be a significant issue. 

It was great to see that CES listened to the concerns last year on the lack of diversity as Lisa Su, chief executive of AMD and Ginni Rometti, IBM’s CEO, were named as keynote speakers. Also, read this from  Black Enterprise titled “Black and Brown Tech Innovators and Enthusiasts Gather for Bigger, Better Techconnext conference.”

In other news, CNBC wrote about how Latino owned small businesses are “turbocharging growth,” I love this from the New York Times done to celebrate the International Day of the Girl and called #ThisIs18 and the Google Doodle honors Roberto Clemente

Finally, ICYMI here is one of my favorite ads this year, from JetBlue, celebrating Puerto Rico.

Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash

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Juneteenth, diversity in the AI sector, pregnancy discrimination, women founders, Carnival, P&G & more

Today is Juneteenth, read more about a holiday called “our country’s second independence day.”

The top recommended reads for me this week were this one from the New York Times regarding pregnancy discrimination and this piece written by Rachel Noerdlinger and titled  “Let’s bury the word ‘diversity’ and listen to communities of color before a crisis hits.”

“There’s no point having the Internet of everything if you don’t have the Internet of everyone.” Watch this great interview with Mastercard vice chairman Ann Cairns on the importance of diversity in the artificial intelligence sector.

Additional stories I am following this week include this on how to promote D&I in your office, this from Carnival Corporation’s CEO where he speaks about how diversity drives innovation, this piece from AdAge, “We are the 0.1%: why the ad world needs more female founders.” Also Inc.’s story on a new report showing gains made by black women in raising venture capital, but mainly about how much work needs to be done and this post by Isaac Mizrahi titled “Forget Relationship Breakup; Young Multiculturals Lead The Digital Breakup.” There was also this list of the best CEOs for women from CNBC. Alex Konrad points out that it is missing women CEOs, a point addressed in the story and this from CNN about P&G “The world’s biggest advertiser wants women to produce half of its ads.”

ICYMI this titled “Food Truck Serves Up Tacos to Unite Latinos And Muslims.”

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

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Allure’s May issue, Dallas Morning News “Questions of Color” series, Sexist AI Bots, new Girl Scouts PSA and More

Let me start with a quick reminder that May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Allure’s cover this month features “three game-changing Asian models.” Editor in Chief Michelle Lee  talks about the importance of this issue here. Michelle is someone I follow closely because as Rebecca Sun says “She is why representation matters not just on the covers but on the mastheads as well. Happy #APAHM!!”

A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a sharp reporter who had graduated from my alma mater and was interning at the Wall Street Journal, Cassandra Jaramillo. She is now working at the Dallas Morning News and I’ve included her coverage here before. In other words, you too should you follow her. Here is her most recent work that is part of  the publication’s series “Questions of Color” and titled “How Texas couples navigate race, culture — and resistance.”

I’ll be writing more on AI at a later time but this from Robert LoCascio titled “Thousands of Sexist AI Bots Could Be Coming. Here’s How We Can Stop Them,” is an important read. As he reminds us “The AI of today was developed by predominantly white male engineers in too much of a hurry to challenge their own chauvinism or consider the harm their work could do.”

This week I am following Amazon’s commitment to increasing board diversity, also this from BlackRock’s Diversity Chief  Jonathan McBride and this on Nike’s new diversity initiative  On the board diversity point, here is this great piece from the Harvard Business Review.

ICYMI Queen Latifah narrates Girl Scouts’ new star-studded leadership PSA, watch it here.

Photo by Hai Phung on Unsplash