Events held to mark the Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebration
IIIT Delhi hosted 60 girls from across India for the 2024 Builders of Better AI: Responsible AI Hackathon. The event, in collaboration with Responsible AI UK (RAI UK) and Technovation, introduced girls to AI, real-world problem solving and the responsible use of AI in innovation through hands-on education.
This was the first event of its kind in a strategy led by Technovation’s The AI Forward Alliance (TAIFA) – the world’s only alliance working at the intersection of AI and gender on a global scale — to reach and empower 25 million girls through AI, coding, and entrepreneurship educational programming. It was also the beginning of the collaborative efforts between RAI UK and TAIFA to equip girls and young women with the skills to lead in the AI revolution. India was chosen as the inaugural location due to its significance in advancing the alliance’s goals.
“Sixty girls created 10 AI-powered solutions, tackling critical issues like girls’ safety, gender equality, and sustainable agriculture,” said Tara Chklovski, CEO and Founder, Technovation. “Imagine the impact if we empowered even more girls with AI skills. As our ‘Women in AI’ report highlights, in India, where only 33% of women are in the workforce and just 24% are in tech, this is a game-changer. Women are often employed in service sector jobs, earning just half the salary of software engineers. If we invest in AI education for girls, we can unlock India’s economic potential and drive gender equality.”
At the event, participants heard from Prof Pragya Kosta from IIIT who talked about the importance of increasing the percentage of women in the Indian technology workforce. Neeraj Sharma, Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft and Technovation Chapter Ambassador introduced the group to machine learning, neural networks and Generative AI. Prof. Elvira Perez Vallejos from RAI UK introduced the Responsible Research and Innovation Framework and cards, helping the girls think about how to develop caring technologies for humans that took into account unintended consequences.
Mentors from EY, Shopify and Google supported the girls through an activity to identify a problem in their community and to develop an AI-based solution. The girls had a chance to use the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Prompts and Practice Cards [RAi RRI tool kit] developed by researchers at UKRI TAS program at The University of Nottingham, UK. The RRI cards provide a useful tool to anticipate ethical issues and reflect on best practices. At the end of the event, they presented their solutions to the whole group.
“Empowering young women in India to engage with technology and explore how AI can benefit their communities is crucial,” said Professor Elvira Perez Vallejos, Chair Equities Pillar- RAiUK. “By addressing existing inequalities and minimizing potential harms, they can play an active role in shaping the AI revolution. Historically, women have been underrepresented in these discussions, but initiatives like this are helping to build the confidence needed for them to participate fully in conversations around technology and innovation.”
“Through this partnership with TAIFA, we aim to empower young women to not only participate in the AI conversation but to redefine it—challenging biases, building technology, and ensuring AI truly benefits every community it touches. RAi UK not only delivers world class research but also translates the latest research results into real-world outcomes that accelerate productivity and growth across the world. The partnership will amplify our impact and ensure our work improves the livelihoods of everyone, and particularly those at the margins of society. ” – Professor Gopal Ramchurn, CEO, RAi UK
“By inspiring school girls to pursue engineering, we can cultivate a more inclusive and diverse tech ecosystem which is crucial for developing inclusive AI solutions for a more equitable and sustainable future.” said Ranjan Bose, Director, IIITD