Inspiring Women Shaping the Future of Ai, Machine Learning, and Robotics

The world's first coder was a woman— Ada Lovelace— yet women remain vastly underrepresented in Ai, ML, and robotics. Despite the incredible contributions of women in Ai, they are still a minority in this male-dominated landscape.

To all aspiring women who have or want to start their career in Ai, celebrate the achievements of these leaders, showing that the future of Ai is not only diverse but distinctly female.

Leading Women in the Fields of Ai, ML, and Robotics

While men typically dominate positions in Ai, ML, and Robotics, countless women are actively making a difference every day.

• Ada Lovelace
  Ada Lovelace, recognized as the world's first computer programmer, collaborated with Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine in the 19th century. Her visionary work extended beyond mere number crunching, as she foresaw computers' potential for music and graphics. Lovelace's algorithm for the Analytical Engine is considered the first-ever tailored for computer implementation, laying the foundation for modern computing. Today, she is celebrated as a pioneer in computer science, particularly for her insights into the broader possibilities of computing beyond arithmetic.
• Grace Hopper
  Grace Hopper, a pioneering American computer scientist and Navy rear admiral, is credited with inventing the first compiler for a programming language. This innovation revolutionized software development, making programming more efficient and less error prone. Hopper played a key role in the development of the COBOL (common-business-oriented language) programming language and became a prominent advocate for women in computer science, breaking gender barriers and inspiring generations of women in STEM fields.
• Dr. Fei-Fei Li
  Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a computer science professor at Stanford University and founding director of the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. She is a renowned leader in the field of artificial intelligence (Ai) and a strong advocate for diversity in STEM and Ai. She co-directs Stanford's Ai Institute and has held key roles at Google and Google Cloud, including vice president and chief scientist of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Dr. Li is also the founder of ImageNet, a pioneering image database used for training object recognition models. With over 200 scientific articles published in top academic journals, she is recognized as a prominent voice and contributor in the Ai community.
• Mira Murati
  Mira Murati, the CTO of OpenAI and the interim CEO, is celebrated as one of today's most prominent artificial technology leaders. During a crucial period of transition at OpenAI, Murati effectively led the company, ensuring uninterrupted productivity amid significant changes. Under her guidance, OpenAI thrived, producing groundbreaking products like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and GPT-4. Murati's journey from Albania to Canada to San Francisco showcases her resilience and unwavering commitment to innovation in artificial intelligence.
• Dr. Lisa Su
  Chairman and CEO at Advanced Micro Devices,Dr. Lisa Su is a Fortune 500 technology leader, and has spearheaded the company's resurgence, driving remarkable growth and technological breakthroughs. As a prominent leader in the semiconductor industry, Dr. Su serves on the Board of Directors of Cisco Systems Inc., the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), and the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA). Her influence extends beyond AMD, shaping the semiconductor industry's landscape.
• Cynthia Breazeal
  Cynthia Breazeal is a prominent figure in computer science, boasting over two decades as a professor of media arts and sciences at MIT. She is the founder and director of MIT's Personal Robots group and the head of the Initiative on Responsible Ai for Social Empowerment and Education. Renowned for her groundbreaking work in social robotics, Breazeal is at the forefront of exploring the long-term impact of social robots on our daily lives. Additionally, she is the Chief Scientist and Founder of Jibo, a company focused on creating companion robots to foster secure and supportive spaces in social Ai companionship.
• Kate Crawford
  With a rich background spanning two decades, Kate Crawford is a global thought leader on the political and social implications of Ai. Holding esteemed positions such as Senior Principal Researcher at MSR-NYC and Research Professor at USC Annenberg, Crawford has co-founded interdisciplinary research groups like the Ai Now Institute at NYU. She has also provided advisory services to policymakers at the UN and the White House. Crawford's latest book, "Atlas of Ai," has received widespread acclaim for its sweeping perspective on artificial intelligence, framing it as a force that shapes empires, decisions, and actions on a global scale.
• Yuka Kojima
  Yuka Kojima co-founder of Cradle and founder of FOVE Inc., a VR company pioneering headsets with eye-tracking features. Their product holds promise across diverse sectors like education, healthcare, gaming, and entertainment. Recently, FOVE secured USD 11 million in Series A funding from major players like Samsung Ventures and Foxconn Technology Group. Diversity is a core value at FOVE, recognizing its importance in advancing tech fields such as Ai, ML, and VR. She has been selected for "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia" and named "Woman of the Year— Nikkei”.

Award-Winning Contributions of Women in Ai

The Turing Award is the pinnacle of achievement in computing. Often compared to the "Nobel Prize of Computing," this honor recognized the groundbreaking contributions of several remarkable women in the field of Ai.

Frances E. Allen created history in 2006 as the first woman to receive the Turing Award. Her pioneering work focused on optimizing compiler techniques, a fundamental aspect of translating programming languages into machine-readable code. Allen's innovations have revolutionized compiler efficiency, laying the groundwork for more streamlined and effective programming practices.

In 2008, Barbara Liskov's outstanding contributions to the practical and theoretical foundations of programming language and system design earned her the prestigious Turing Award. Liskov's work has left an indelible mark on the design of modern programming languages, enhancing their efficiency and usability for programmers worldwide.

Shafi Goldwasser, along with Silvio Micali, in 2012 received the Turing Award for their transformative contributions to cryptography. Their pioneering innovations have bolstered the security of digital communications, safeguarding crucial aspects of modern life such as online banking and secure messaging.

These exceptional women exemplify the spirit of innovation and excellence in computing, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to shape the landscape of Ai and computing as a whole.

Evolution of Women’s Contributions in Ai

Since the inception of the Industrial Revolution, the representation of women in technology and sciences has been disproportionately small, with notable exceptions like Ada Lovelace. Major Machine Learning companies witness only about 20 percent of women in technical roles, further dwindling to a mere 12 percent in the realm of female Ai researchers. The numbers shrink even more for professional developers in the field, where only 6 percent are female, a stark contrast to women constituting nearly half of the world's population.

UNESCO’s report in 2018 stated that women comprised one in three (33 percent) researchers globally, marking a significant presence in the research landscape. The underrepresentation persists in Ai, where only 22 percent of professionals are women, despite these fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution and facing a skills shortage.

An astounding 71 percent of respondents in a Deloitte report emphasized that incorporating women into Ai and machine learning will offer crucial, unique perspectives necessary for the high-tech industry. Additionally, 66 percent expressed the belief that Ai and ML solutions would greatly benefit from increased diversity among employees in designer and developer roles.

Despite ongoing challenges, there is substantial progress in women’s careers in Ai— as more women are entering the Ai and STEM fields. The percentage of women among Computer Science bachelor's degree graduates has seen an uptick to 22.3 percent, marking a positive shift in the past decade. While these trends suggest a gradual improvement, there's still much work to be done to achieve true gender diversity in these crucial domains.

End Note

Women have been pivotal in shaping the development and utilization of Ai technologies over the last half-century. Despite encountering systemic barriers and biases, women have left indelible marks on the field, laying the groundwork for Ai research across various domains.