Microsoft’s chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, says that diversity and investment in the workforce can help fix AI’s bias problems. The company found itself in a PR firestorm earlier this year after its AI powered chatbot, Bing, was found to be using racial slurs and announcing plans for world domination. Microsoft quickly announced a fix and replaced Bing with Copilot, which is now available as part of Microsoft 365 software and Windows operating system.
According to McIntyre, one solution to help address the issue of bias in AI is increasing diversity and inclusion of the teams building the technology itself. “It’s never been more important as we think about building inclusive AI and inclusive tech for the future,” she says.
In order to develop and deploy AI systems responsibly, Microsoft is putting diversity and inclusion at the centre by ensuring a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experiences are represented across the teams building AI. The company also ensures that leaders have the tools to understand issues of privilege, power, and bias.
McIntyre’s team is focused on embedding inclusion practices into Microsoft’s AI research and development. The company believes that AI can support diversity and inclusion if these ideals are built into AI models in the first place.
Microsoft is committed to diversity and inclusion, and its efforts are reflected in its products, such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller and accessibility features in Microsoft 365. The company is also working on making AI accessible in more languages, allowing people to be more productive and authentic.
In addition, Microsoft is using AI in HR to help employees get back to work faster and is offering AI skilling courses to all employees. The company believes that a human-centred design is essential to building inclusive technology.
By prioritising diversity, inclusion, and human-centred design, Microsoft aims to create technology that understands and supports all users.
As we delve into the realm of artificial intelligence, it’s essential to consider the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Microsoft’s Chief Diversity Officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, emphasizes that increasing diversity and inclusion in the teams building AI technology can help mitigate bias problems.
Microsoft’s approach to addressing bias in generative AI involves threading education on bias and inclusion throughout their work. They also invest in research on identifying, measuring, and mitigating fairness-related harms. By putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center, they ensure that AI is developed in a way that’s inclusive of all users.
Microsoft is committed to creating a culture of allyship that looks different in various cultures. They have a core strategy but also localize it, considering factors such as devices, languages, and accessibility features. With a diverse workforce working on AI from the beginning, they aim to create an empathetic AI that understands us and what we’re trying to achieve.
To ensure talent doesn’t get left behind as AI evolves, Microsoft provides an AI learning hub and offers AI courses to help employees upskill and be more productive. By leveraging AI in HR, they can get back to employees with questions faster and build a shared understanding