AI and machine learning may impact women first!

What’s happening? Forrester predicts that investments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and IoT (Internet of Things) will increase 300% in 2017. As more routine tasks are taken over by smart machines, the people who perform these tasks (often women) may lose their jobs or be replaced with AI-savvy professionals.

Why should you care? In the film “Hidden Figures,” we learn about Dorothy Vaughan who taught herself Fortran in order to save her job. Similarly, women who fall behind or resist learning about AI, machine learning, and robots may not have the skills they need to compete in a machine-driven future.

Who’s leading? This month in Embrace the Machine we feature a few women who are among the machine “Intelligentsia,” including Professor Yi Zhang who is part of Rulai a start-up that was named One of the 50 Most Promising by Bloomberg Business.

What can you do? Stay on top of developments and learn your stuff. Do not shy away from STEM (that’s science, technology, engineering, and math) and encourage your peers/daughters/nieces to do the same.