AI literacy is ‘essential’ to individuals and more regulation is needed — Global Issues

Mrs. Bartoletti is the Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer of the international IT company Wipro, a consultant to the Council of Europe and the founder of the Women Leading in AI network.

She is concerned about the lack of representation in the AI ​​industry for women and the global South.

He spoke to him UN news in December at the 2024 Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the UN’s annual forum for discussing critical digital policy issues.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length

Ivana Bartoletti In Europe, only 28 percent of those working in the AI ​​industry are women, and that has a huge impact. Each AI product is built with human preferences. So, not having enough women and diversity in the conversation is a problem. But it’s not just a matter of having more female coders and programmers. It’s about those who decide the future of artificial intelligence.

The inherent bias of these tools has been a key topic in every panel I’ve been on at the Internet Governance Forum, and how to ensure that the global South has the strongest voice.

UN news What advice would you give to women and girls interested in working in this field?

Ivana Bartoletti That there are many ways to get into AI and technology, and you don’t have to be a coder. I was always interested in the politics of data. For example, when we talk about a database, the way data is collected is neutral, someone decides what data is included. And, therefore, the predictions made by AI about us are neutral.

We need women and people from different backgrounds to be involved in AI management, auditing, investigative journalism, to see where it went wrong.

UN news How can we ensure that AI systems are used in a fair and transparent manner?

Ivana Bartoletti There is a lot of collaboration happening between governments, the private sector, big tech, companies and civil society. But more is needed, because the need for accuracy and transparency can grow into a legal requirement.

Discussions need to take place across countries, to ensure that AI does not exacerbate existing social inequalities, or make the internet even more insecure.

UN news In a world where it’s easy to spread fake videos, photos and misinformation, how can we make sure everyone understands how to safely use the technology they’re exposed to?

Ivana Bartoletti I think education is important and AI literacy is important, including in schools, to develop a critical attitude. But education cannot replace corporate responsibility, because there are many differences between us as individuals and the size of data collection and the power of large technology companies..

It is never fair to tell people that they are responsible for their own online safety. I think AI literacy is important, but we have to be clear that the responsibility is yours the companies that produce the products and the government that regulates their use.