Natalia Ibáñez Guinea |Madrid - October 18, 2021
Visible female referents in the technology sector, encourage girls to train in these careers and break the stereotypes in education and company, are just some of the solutions to combat the lack of programmers and the consequences of biasesgender in artificial intelligence (LA).
Con este objetivo, la red de mujeres profesionales y emprendedoras de habla hispanaWomenalia, con la colaboración de Everis, Clarity AI y Mática Partners, ha organizado la jornada #Ellasprograman: Mujeres, programación y sesgos inconscientes, en la que se han analizado las causas de los sesgos de género en el sector tecnológico.
The latest report of "data and figures of the Spanish university system" crystallizes this situation: the percentage of women graduated in computer science in the 2018-2019 academic year did not reach 10 % of the total.
Spain is no exception and this is stated by the study of UNESCO "decipher the code", which warns that only 35 % of people studying Stem careers (acronym in English of science, engineering and mathematics) In higher education they are women and of those only 3 % enroll in information and communication technologies (ICT).
And in the scope of programming the figures are not encouraging.Only 11 % of developers worldwide are women and, in Spain, the figure falls up to 9.3 %, according to the Java, Web, Mobile and PHP Salary Survey study prepared by the Pearson consultant.
#Ellasprograman
Datos tan pesimistas como estos han alentado a Womenalia, con la colaboración de Everis, Clarity AI y Mática Partners, a poner en marcha #Ellasprograman: Mujeres, programación y sesgos inconscientes, una jornada de debate y reflexión para estudiar las causas tras la tan aguda falta de programadoras, así como sus consecuencias y posibles soluciones.
El evento ha tenido lugar en el marco del aniversario del nacimiento de la matemática británica Ada Lovelace, considerada la primera mujer programadora de la historia y creadora del primer algoritmo en 1843.
La cita se ha situado en el campus de la escuela de tecnología Ironhack Madrid y ha reunido a grandes especialistas en la materia como la ingeniera de Clarity IA Silvia Cobo, la experta en Data Science, Nohemy Veiga, y la presidenta y co-fundadora de OdiseIA, Idoia Salazar.
More programmers, less stereotypes and biases
«The fourth industrial revolution is booming, and with it a growing demand for technological profiles, which increases quickly, and that experts estimate that it will generate about two million new jobs in sectors such as engineering and computing.But unfortunately it is also observed that women are missing this great opportunity, ”said Womenalia General Director Lucila Ballarino, to open #Ellasprograman.
In her inaugural speech, Ballarino has also blamed the barriers "related to stereotypes or biases" for the absence of women in technology, which, for her, is "a reality that we must modify for the present and future of society".
Likewise, Ballarino has highlighted the need to have more programming women throughout the technological sector, but above all in the development of algorithms.
«We need female voices in this development.Many referent and great minds (male) behind technological innovations come to mind and, precisely, one of the causes that only 13 % of women study Stem careers is the lack of references women, ”he said.
Mitification, machismo and unattainable requirements
Para analizar los desequilibrios en el mercado, #Ellasprograman ha organizado la mesa redonda «Mujeres en Programación: la situación del presente y futuro», con la participación de la ingeniera de Clarity IA Silvia Cobo, el fundador y el responsable de Matica Partners, Juan Ramón González, bajo la moderación de la profesora de análisis de datos Amanda Gálvez.
“There is a mythification of the race that tells you that you have to be a genius to do it.Once you dare and study, there are machismo problems with teachers.In the work world, women do not opt for places if we do not meet 100% in the requirements.Already tickets to the labor market, you find those who accept you and those who do not.There are colleagues who protect you so much that they do not let you move on, ”said Cobo, that advocates a visibility of female referents to correct this situation.
For his part, González has denounced a talent collection problem "whose origin is part of the classrooms, where you barely get women who study this career," he said.
«When an inclusion policy is made, it has to be very involved in the company's DNA.If you prevail the talent above all, that equality is raising level.Not only in programming positions but in headquarters, decisioning «, he has sentenced.
A biased -free programming
Otra de las expertas citadas en #Ellasprograman ha sido la científica y «codificadora de corazón» Nohemy Veiga.
"The programming gives you control and makes you free," said the Lead Data Scientist at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Excellence of NTT dates from Everis, who in his speech has explained the phases of the Machine Learning, a branch of the AI thatallows machines to learn without being expressly scheduled for it.
"Bias is a quite systematic and consistent error.There are many types.The ones that are usually seen is the typical sample representation bias: a collective is not representing in a sample ”, has pointed out the Veiga.
A transparent artificial intelligence
La presidenta y co-fundadora del Observatorio del Impacto Ético y Social de la Inteligencia Artificial (OdiseIA), Idoia Salazar, ha aprovechado su ponencia, que ha sido la última de #Ellasprograman, para visibilizar el papel de la mujer en la implantación positiva y ética de la Inteligencia Artificial y recalcar la importancia de la diversidad en los datos.
«We cannot leave algorithms to make decisions, because they have no responsibilities.The person is the one who must assume these responsibilities, ”Salazar shared, who supports a transparent artificial intelligence, without discriminations and that serves for humanity to prosper.