New policy report presents key recommendations for gender equality and diversity in AI

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mila and CEIMIA, two leading global players in the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI), released today the most comprehensive policy report to date on gender equality and diversity in AI. Informed by extensive consultations with diverse voices and experts, this report and its policy guide companion offer policy-makers clear recommendations to foster greater inclusivity in technology development.

The report, which is an initiative of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) working group on Responsible AI, was launched earlier today in Montreal, Canada, as part of an event that gathered Canada's President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, as well as global leaders, policymakers, and AI community representatives.

The report, entitled "Towards Substantive Equality in AI: Transformative AI Policy for Gender Equality and Diversity" aims to empower states and other stakeholders to create inclusive, equitable, and just AI ecosystems, driving both economic and social development. It explores effective practices, offers policy insights, and provides actionable recommendations to improve gender equality and diversity in AI and related policymaking.

The rapid advancement of AI is transforming industries and driving economic growth, holding great potential to improve lives and livelihoods globally. However, it risks exacerbating existing inequalities by mirroring and magnifying societal biases, discrimination, and harmful stereotypes, particularly those affecting women and other historically marginalized groups. There are already documented cases where AI systems and processes have, for instance, led to non-consensual personal image distribution and online harassment. The lack of diversity throughout AI ecosystems can also reinforce harmful stereotypes and discrimination by excluding diverse perspectives. This has resulted in cases of restricted employment opportunities for marginalized groups and unfair resource allocation to individuals with disabilities.

"This report is crucial as the recommendations address the root causes of inequality to achieve substantive equality in AI and beyond. Achieving this through transformative changes in AI development and policies will advance human rights," says Paola Ricaurte Quijiano, Full Professor, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and co-lead of the report. "We need to create a robust regulatory framework to prevent harm and to ensure a beneficial development of AI systems and processes for all."

The key recommendations are divided into four categories:

1. Incentivize Inclusive Design and Democratic Innovation: Integrate affirmative action and measures for institutional inclusion, and support inclusive technology design.
2. Enhance Meaningful Participation in AI Governance: Foster and ensure the active involvement of marginalized groups in AI governance to ensure better AI policy for all.
3. Ensure Transparency and Accountability for Harm Prevention: Establish safeguards and mechanisms for accountability among all AI actors to prevent harm and ensure fairness.
4. Guarantee Effective Access to Justice: Implement measures to ensure that marginalized groups have access to legal recourse against AI-driven discrimination and bias.

The report recommends, for instance, to direct funding to initiatives aligned with inclusive technology design principles, promoting equitable and just applications, practices, and processes in AI ecosystems. Recommendations also include developing strategies to enable the public and private sectors to conduct fundamental rights impact assessments before deploying AI systems. Other examples include ensuring algorithmic transparency, to allow people affected by an AI system to challenge its outcome based on clear and understandable information, and easing the burden of proof for claimants to improve access to legal recourse against AI-driven discrimination and bias.

"Robust regulatory frameworks are urgently needed to prevent harm and work towards true equality and diversity in AI ecosystems which ultimately, affect human life," adds Benjamin Prud'homme, Vice-president, Policy, Safety and Global Affairs at Mila and co-lead of the report. "Through inclusive AI policies, we can enhance the quality, usability and effectiveness of AI systems, contributing to a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous future for all."

To complement the report, CEIMIA and Mila are also publishing a Policy Guide Companion to assist policymakers in implementing the recommendations. This guide offers a step-by-step roadmap for building more inclusive AI ecosystems and actionable steps to facilitate this much-needed industry transition.

Based on a human rights-based approach to AI, over 200 participants, representing over 50 countries and diverse perspectives, took part in consultations or advisory processes to create the report.

About CEIMIA
CEIMIA was created to play a leading role both nationally and internationally: as a catalyst for high value-added responsible AI projects, CEIMIA works to ensure the development and adoption of AI that benefits humanity, across borders. The organization has also been mandated to both strengthen the influence of Canadian and Quebec players in responsible AI internationally, and ensure that the interests and involvement of emerging and developing countries are taken into account in projects and discussions around AI governance. CEIMIA also supports the activities of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), which aims to develop applied AI projects aligned with the common priorities of OECD member countries. For more information, visit https://ceimia.org/en/.

About Mila
Founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio of the University of Montreal, Mila is a research institute in artificial intelligence that now brings together over 1,200 specialized researchers in machine learning. Based in Montreal, Mila's mission is to be a global centre for scientific advancements that inspire innovation and the growth of AI for the benefit of all. Mila is a globally recognized non-profit organization for its significant contributions to deep learning, especially in the fields of language modeling, automatic translation, object recognition, and generative models. For more information, visit mila.quebec.

Contact: Eric Aach, eaach@national.ca, +1 514-569-3594; or Gabrielle Landry, glandry@national.ca, +1 514-688-5837