1. TechCrunch launching a series of interviews to highlight remarkable women who have contributed to the AI revolution.
2. Urvashi Aneja, founding director of Digital Futures Lab, focusing on societal impact of algorithmic decision-making systems in India and platform governance.
3. Issues in AI evolution include power concentration in tech companies, environmental impacts, and need for responsible building and usage of AI.
TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews focusing on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution to give them the recognition they deserve. Urvashi Aneja, the founding director of Digital Futures Lab, is one of the women being highlighted. Her research focuses on the societal impact of algorithmic decision-making systems in India and platform governance. She is proud of drawing attention to the political economy of AI production and translating concerns into concrete policy and regulation.
Aneja navigates the challenges of the male-dominated tech industry by letting her work speak for itself and constantly questioning the status quo. She advises women entering the AI field to develop a broad understanding of issues and not focus narrowly on AI. Key issues facing AI as it evolves include the concentration of power within a few technology companies, environmental impacts, and the positioning of AI as necessary for socioeconomic development.
AI users should be aware that AI is not magic and has limitations. Responsible AI building starts with assessing the need for AI and re-centering domain knowledge in the building process. Investors can push for responsible AI by considering the entire life cycle of AI production, including labor rights, environmental impacts, and internal accountability measures within the company.