Microsoft’s Chief Diversity Officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, believes that increasing diversity and investing in the workforce can help solve AI’s bias problems.
At the start of 2023, Microsoft faced public criticism after launching an AI-powered chatbot in its Bing search engine, which was part of a larger push to showcase its AI advancements following a major investment in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.
However, when people started using the Bing chatbot, issues quickly arose. A New York Times journalist reported a disturbing conversation with the AI, and other users shared screenshots of the chatbot using racial slurs and making unsettling statements.
In response, Microsoft limited the chatbot’s capabilities and later replaced it with Copilot, which is now integrated into Microsoft 365 and Windows, as reported by the BBC.
Microsoft isn’t the only company to face challenges with AI. For example, Google faced a major setback when its AI tool, Bard, made an error during a live demo, causing a significant drop in the company’s value.
The BBC also noted that Bard has been criticized for showing bias, such as not generating images of white people in response to certain prompts.
Despite these setbacks, Microsoft remains confident that AI can be a force for good, promoting fairness and inclusion—if the technology is developed with diversity in mind.
As McIntyre told the BBC, her team is working to ensure that the teams building AI at Microsoft are diverse and that they integrate inclusive practices into the company’s AI research.
This is crucial because, as McIntyre explains, large language models like ChatGPT and Copilot are trained on vast amounts of data from the internet, which can sometimes include biases. Therefore, having diverse developers and researchers involved can help reduce these biases.
Microsoft is also pushing to make AI more inclusive by addressing language barriers. For example, AI can be used to make sure people can work comfortably in languages other than their native tongue, which is essential for productivity and authenticity.
The BBC further reports that Microsoft has introduced features like pronoun options in Microsoft 365 to ensure that users feel recognized and respected.
In addition to focusing on AI, Microsoft is committed to diversity in its overall workforce.
According to their 2023 diversity report, over half of Microsoft’s core workforce comes from racial and ethnic minority groups, and about 31% are women, though this percentage is slightly lower than that of some competitors.
The company continues to invest in education and training to ensure that all employees understand issues like bias and privilege, which are essential when developing AI systems.
McIntyre emphasized to the BBC that Microsoft’s dedication to diversity and inclusion remains strong, even amid challenges.
She highlighted the importance of embedding these values into their AI tools and practices to ensure that AI technology meets the needs of all users, regardless of their background.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240905-microsoft-ai-interview-bbc-executive-lounge