’As women of faith we should embrace the fifth industrial revolution with faith not fear,’ says Jamie Phear. She says we need women pioneering alongside men to step into the future with leadership that is grounded in ethics and inclusivity.
In elementary school, Shawnna Hoffman was one of the top two students in her class. The other student? A boy named Scottie. One afternoon, Shawnna noticed Scottie leaving class for the computer lab. When she asked to join, her teacher informed her that only boys could work on computers.
Shawnna’s teacher didn’t think girls were capable of understanding technology, but that wouldn’t stop Shawnna. At the library, she gathered as many books on computer science as possible. When her mother asked why all the books? Shawnna peered over the stack and replied, “I need to know why I can’t understand computers”.
Shawnna wasn’t going to let her teacher or culture dictate what she could or couldn’t do. This was the beginning of a dream – the tilling of soil that would eventually grow into a successful career in tech where Shawnna would pioneer as a woman at the forefront of AI development and use.
Shawnna’s teacher didn’t think girls were capable of understanding technology,
Although more women are in leadership in tech than ever, it continues to be a male-dominated field. Lack of female representation in AI development has already revealed a worrying reality – gender bias leaking into AI models.
This reared its ugly head in early AI large language models’ whose responses began reflecting gender prejudice due to the lack of diversity in data sets and research teams.
However, having a balanced gender representation is not only about mitigating the risk of bias, the inclusion of women in leadership also raises ethical standards. Research shows that women are significantly more inclined than men to prioritise ethics.
Although more women are in leadership in tech than ever, it continues to be a male-dominated field.
Shawnna Hoffman is an example of this. Shawnna has been sounding the alarm on the importance of women in AI her entire career. Currently the president of Guardrail Technologies – a company whose mission is to enable and advance ethical and responsible AI – Shawnna has seen first hand how her womanhood and faith are driving forces behind her desire for a high standard of ethics.
Prior to Guardrail Technologies, Shawnna worked on the Ethical AI Board at IBM and then helped establish a similar board at DELL. She is enthusiastic about the potential for good which exists in AI, but she is also realistic about the risks, which is why her work centres on creating guardrails around AI development and use. Shawnna is passionate about the legacy of AI – a legacy that must be ethically sound and driven by a desire to pass on good behaviours to future generations. A legacy that requires the equal involvement of men and women.
“Everything I do is grounded in my faith,” Shawnna shares as she emphasises the importance of Christians embracing the future with faith. Shawnna goes on to say, “This change is revolutionary and it’s definitely a shift to the augmenting of humans. With that, there is a lot of responsibility. This is one of the most powerful systems that has ever been built for humankind.”
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As women of faith, resisting the changes ahead is perilous, instead we should participate to ensure we are encouraging good behaviours for future generations as we embrace the fifth industrial revolution with faith not fear. We need women like Shawnna at the forefront of AI development, pioneering alongside men to step into the future with leadership that is grounded in ethics and inclusivity.
So, what can you do?
Educate yourself on AI development and responsible use, engage in conversations around AI’s ethical standards, and support women who are emerging voices in tech. If you’re a parent, educate your children on engaging with AI responsibly. AI is advancing and as Christian women, it is essential that we are part of the conversation.
You can hear more from Shawnna Hoffman at the upcoming Wise Well Woman Summit where she is a keynote speaker, which will take place on March 16th at St. Paul’s Centre in Hammersmith. This Christian women’s conference will explore how faith enhances our life and leadership, and will include fantastic workshops and an incredible lineup of speakers, including Maxine Nwaneri who will speak on work-life balance and Kalpana Dein who will share on the importance of emotional health and well-being.
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