DISRUPTING MYTHS ABOUT AI RESEARCH (AND WHO CAN BE A PART OF IT)

Sponsored by the Power & Inequality in Media & Technology Work Group.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) field is characterized by homogeneity and elitism, with many barriers. A small (predominately white, male, and USA-based) group of researchers has created technology with a global impact and set a limiting narrative about who can enter the field. As co-founder of fast.ai, Dr. Rachel Thomas' work strives to make AI more accessible to diverse groups and challenges the dominant narratives about the field.

Dr. Rachel Thomas is a Professor of Practice at Queensland University of Technology Centre for Data Science and founding director of the Center for Applied Data Ethics at the University of San Francisco; she co-founded fast.ai with a mission to increase accessibility and diversity in the AI field. She was selected by Forbes as one of the 20 Incredible Women in AI, and has been featured in the book Women Tech Founders on the Rise (2019).

Zoom link for Presentation (@ 3:45 pm): https://rutgers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uRiXztyyScy1MHcoAkrAJw

Zoom link for Workshop (@ 4:30): https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckcuCopjgoGN0EH8pqswIsBiJumI5ftcWo 

No background in AI or tech is necessary for this talk.