Ladies in AI: Brandie Nonnecke of UC Berkeley says traders ought to insist on accountable AI practices

To present AI-focused ladies teachers and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time within the highlight, TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews specializing in outstanding ladies who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. We’ll publish a number of items all year long because the AI growth continues, highlighting key work that usually goes unrecognized. Learn extra profiles here.

Brandie Nonnecke is the founding director of the CITRIS Coverage Lab, headquartered at UC Berkeley, which helps interdisciplinary analysis to handle questions across the position of regulation in selling innovation. Nonnecke additionally co-directors the Berkeley Heart for Regulation and Expertise, the place she leads initiatives on AI, platforms and society, and the UC Berkeley AI Coverage Hub, an initiative to coach researchers to develop efficient AI governance and coverage frameworks.

In her spare time, Nonnecke hosts a video and podcast collection, TecHype, that analyzes rising tech insurance policies, laws and legal guidelines, offering insights into the advantages and dangers and figuring out methods to harness tech for good.

Q&A

Briefly, how did you get your begin in AI? What attracted you to the sphere?

I’ve been working in accountable AI governance for practically a decade. My coaching in know-how, public coverage and their intersection with societal impacts drew me into the sphere. AI is already pervasive and profoundly impactful in our lives — for higher and for worse. It’s essential to me to meaningfully contribute to society’s means to harness this know-how for good moderately than stand on the sidelines.

What work are you most happy with (within the AI area)?

I’m actually happy with two issues we’ve completed. First, The College of California was the primary college to determine accountable AI ideas and a governance construction to higher guarantee accountable procurement and use of AI. We take our dedication to serve the general public in a accountable method severely. I had the dignity of co-chairing the UC Presidential Working Group on AI and its subsequent everlasting AI Council. In these roles, I’ve been in a position to achieve firsthand expertise pondering via greatest operationalize our accountable AI ideas with the intention to safeguard our school, employees, college students, and the broader communities we serve. Second, I feel it’s vital that the general public perceive rising applied sciences and their actual advantages and dangers. We launched TecHype, a video and podcast collection that demystifies rising applied sciences and gives steering on efficient technical and coverage interventions.

How do you navigate the challenges of the male-dominated tech business, and, by extension, the male-dominated AI business?

Be curious, persistent and undeterred by imposter syndrome. I’ve discovered it essential to hunt out mentors who assist variety and inclusion, and to supply the identical assist to others coming into the sphere. Constructing inclusive communities in tech has been a robust option to share experiences, recommendation and encouragement.

What recommendation would you give to ladies looking for to enter the AI area?

For ladies coming into the AI area, my recommendation is threefold: Search data relentlessly, as AI is a quickly evolving area. Embrace networking, as connections will open doorways to alternatives and provide invaluable assist. And advocate for your self and others, as your voice is crucial in shaping an inclusive, equitable future for AI. Keep in mind, your distinctive views and experiences enrich the sphere and drive innovation.

What are a number of the most urgent points going through AI because it evolves?

I consider one of the crucial urgent points going through AI because it evolves is to not get hung up on the most recent hype cycles. We’re seeing this now with generative AI. Positive, generative AI presents vital developments and may have great impression — good and unhealthy. However different types of machine studying are in use at this time which are surreptitiously making choices that immediately have an effect on everybody’s means to train their rights. Reasonably than specializing in the most recent marvels of machine studying, it’s extra essential that we give attention to how and the place machine studying is being utilized no matter its technological prowess.

What are some points AI customers ought to concentrate on?

AI customers ought to concentrate on points associated to knowledge privateness and safety, the potential for bias in AI decision-making and the significance of transparency in how AI techniques function and make choices. Understanding these points can empower customers to demand extra accountable and equitable AI techniques.

What’s one of the best ways to responsibly construct AI?

Responsibly constructing AI includes integrating moral issues at each stage of improvement and deployment. This contains numerous stakeholder engagement, clear methodologies, bias administration methods and ongoing impression assessments. Prioritizing the general public good and guaranteeing AI applied sciences are developed with human rights, equity and inclusivity at their core are basic.

How can traders higher push for accountable AI?

That is such an essential query! For a very long time we by no means expressly mentioned the position of traders. I can not specific sufficient how impactful traders are! I consider the trope that “regulation stifles innovation” is overused and is commonly unfaithful. As a substitute, I firmly consider smaller corporations can expertise a late mover benefit and study from the bigger AI corporations which were creating accountable AI practices and the steering rising from academia, civil society and authorities. Traders have the facility to form the business’s route by making accountable AI practices a vital issue of their funding choices. This contains supporting initiatives that concentrate on addressing social challenges via AI, selling variety and inclusion throughout the AI workforce and advocating for robust governance and technical methods that assist to make sure AI applied sciences profit society as an entire.