Lack of diversity in the artificial intelligence field has reached “a moment of reckoning,” according to new findings published by a New York University research center. The AI field, which is overwhelmingly white and male, is at risk of replicating or perpetuating historical biases and power imbalances, the report said. The biases of systems built by the AI industry can be largely attributed to the lack of diversity within the field itself, the report said. Only 2.5% of Google’s workforce is black, while Facebook and Microsoft are each at 4%, and little data exists on trans workers or other gender minorities in the AI field. This lack of diversity must be addressed before AI reaches a “tipping point”, she said.

Source: The Guardian April 17, 2019 00:22 UTC