Intel executive Huma Abidi on the urgent need for diversity and inclusion in AI

As we prepare for Transform 2021 July 12-16, we’re excited to highlight some of our speakers who are leading impactful initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion in AI and data. .

We had the chance to have a conversation with Huma Abidi, Senior Director of AI Software Products and Engineering at Intel. She spoke about her DE&I work in her private life, including supporting STEM education for girls in the United States and around the world, founding the Women in Machine Learning group at Intel, and more.

VB: Can you tell us about your background and your current position in your company?

HA: This one is easy. As Senior Director of AI Software Products and Engineering at Intel, I am responsible for strategy, roadmaps, requirements, validation and benchmarking of learning software products in depth, machine learning and analysis. I lead a globally diverse team of engineers and technologists tasked with delivering world-class products that empower clients to create AI solutions.

VB: Any woman and person of color in or alongside the tech industry is already forced to think of DE&I just because she is “a woman and a person of color in tech” – how is that has it influenced your career?

HA: It’s very true. As a woman, and especially a woman of color, you are constantly aware that you are under-represented in the tech industry. When I joined the tech workforce over two decades ago, I was often the only woman in the room and in meetings and it was very obvious to me that there was something wrong. was wrong with this picture. I decided to do my part to change that and I also proactively sought out leaders who would help me advance in my career as a technical leader as well as support my DE&I efforts.

Early in my career, I volunteered to be part of Intel’s initiatives to create a diverse and inclusive workforce. I have participated in hiring events focused on hiring women and other underrepresented minorities (URMs) for tech jobs. To help with the onboarding of new URM hires, I led cohorts to offer support, and help make connections and build their networks. To ensure retention, I have mentored (and still do!) Women and URMs at different stages of their careers, and I have also helped match mentors and mentees.

I’m especially proud to have founded the Women in Machine Learning group at Intel, where we discuss exciting technical topics in AI, while bringing in experts in other areas such as mindfulness. During the pandemic, this has been particularly difficult for parents with young children, and we continue to provide support and guidance to help with work-life balance.

After reaching the 2020 goal of achieving full representation of women and MUEs at all levels (depending on market availability) in the United States, Intel’s goal is to increase the number of women in employment. technical positions to 40% by 2030 and to double the number of women and URMs in senior management. I am very proud to be part of Intel’s RISE initiative.

VB: Can you tell us about the diversity initiatives you have been involved in, especially in your community?

HA: I am very passionate about technology and also about diversity and inclusion. As mentioned above, I am involved in many initiatives at Intel related to DE&I.

Just last week, at the launch event for our AI for Youth program, I met 18 young cadets – mostly black and Hispanic youth – who are enlisting in military service as part of ‘a junior ROTC program. We had a great discussion on tech, artificial intelligence and the challenges of being a minority, URM and women in tech.

I support several organizations around the world for the cause of women’s education, particularly in STEM, including Girl Geek X, Girls innovates, and I am a member of the board of directors of “Led by”, an organization that offers mentoring to minority women.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESDOC), girls lose interest in science after the fourth grade. I believe that before young girls start to develop negative perceptions about STEM, there need to be role models who can show them how cool it is to be an engineer or a scientist.

I love talking with high school and college students in the US and other countries to influence them to consider a career in engineering and AI. Recently I was invited to talk to 400 students in India, mostly girls, to share with them what it’s like to be a woman in the tech industry, working in AI.

VB: How do you see the industry evolving in response to the work that women, especially black women and BIPOC, are doing in the field? What will the industry look like for the next generation?

HA: Women represent almost half of the world’s population and yet there is a big gap when it comes to technical roles and even more so for BIPOC.

There have been several encouraging signs recently. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of high-profile women in tech as well as in leadership positions in tech companies, universities as well as startups. This includes Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube; Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox; Fei Fei Li, leader of human-centered AI at Stanford; and Meredith Whittaker working on the social implications of AI at the NYU AI Now Institute, to name a few.

The media and publications also help highlight these issues and recognize the women who are making a difference in this field. Over the past few years, I have participated in a few VentureBeat events and a panel to discuss and highlight issues like biases in AI, ED&I, and gender and race gaps in the industry. technological. I am grateful to be recognized as a 2021 “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and 2021 “Tribute to Women” by the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley for the work I have done in this area.

All tech companies are grappling with the lack of gender issues, and of course, if we don’t build a pipeline of women in tech, the gender gap will neither be narrowed nor closed. When putting in place measures to achieve greater gender diversity, there should be an explicit focus on race as well as gender. It’s especially important to have more women and underrepresented minorities in AI (an area I work on), due to the potential biases that a lack of representation can cause when creating business solutions. IA.

Targeted efforts should be made to provide women, especially at BIPOC, with leadership opportunities. This is only possible if they have advocates, mentors and sponsors.

These issues are common to all tech companies and the best way to make real progress is to join forces, make collective investments to address these issues, especially for underserved communities and by partnering with organizations. established nonprofits.

Earlier this year, Intel announced a new industry coalition with 13 leading companies to develop shared diversity and inclusion goals and metrics. The Coalition Inclusion Index serves as a benchmark for tracking improvements in diversity and inclusion, shares current best practices, and highlights opportunities to improve results across sectors.

The coalition focuses on four critical areas: 1) leadership representation 2) inclusive language 3) inclusive product development and 4) STEM readiness in underserved communities.

These are examples of big steps in the right direction to close the diversity, gender and race gaps in the tech industry going forward.

[Abidi’s talk is just one of many conversations around D,E&I at Transform 2021 next week (July 12-16).  On Monday, we’ll kick off with our third Women in AI breakfast gathering. On Wednesday, we will have a session on BIPOC in AI. On Friday, we’ll host the Women in AI awards. Throughout the agenda, we’ll have numerous other talks on inclusion and bias, including with Margaret Mitchell, a leading AI researcher on responsible AI, as well as with executives from Pinterest, Redfin, and more.]