Will AI Help Break Gender Barriers—or Build Bigger Ones? | Pendo Manjele | TEDxLusaka

Gender Disparity in AI - Only 20% of AI-related leadership roles in Zambia are held by women, while men hold 79% [5] - Women constitute only 30% of the global AI workforce [12] - UNESCO report indicates women are four times more likely to be associated with domestic roles in large language models compared to men [15] AI Bias and Discrimination - Amazon's AI recruiting tool penalized resumes with the word "women" [10] - Apple's AI credit card algorithm gave women lower credit limits than men, even with better financial profiles [11] - AI systems trained on biased data can perpetuate discrimination in areas like job applications, loan approvals, and even the justice system [9] Call to Action for Gender Equality in AI - Industry needs diverse teams to develop, test, and regulate AI systems [12] - Industry needs representative data that reflects the full spectrum of human experience [13] - Women need to be part of the developers, decision-makers, regulators, and testers of AI [13] - Leaders should ensure their teams are diverse and invest in training, mentorship, and equity for women [17]