The under-representation of women and people of color across the field of artificial intelligence is causing a “diversity crisis” that is contributing to the creation of flawed systems and technology, according to a New York University research center report.
According to the study, about 80 percent of AI professors are men, while just 15 percent of AI research staff at Facebook and 10 percent at Google are women. Just 2.5 percent of Google’s workforce is black while Facebook and Microsoft are both right around 4% each – and the under-representation of women of color is even worse, the report notes. What’s more, “there is no public data on trans workers or other gender minorities.”