I’d blush if I could: A gender perspective on (embodied) AI

About event

Recent scientific advances in robotics and AI systems have raised hopes that autonomous, intelligent machines will help humans make fairer, more objective and better decisions. However, empirical evidence suggests that AI technologies (as they stand today) not only reproduce but also reinforce racial and gender stereotypes. In my talk, I will analyse why we need to understand algorithms as socio-technical ensembles in which human judgement (and bias) is woven into the design of the systems. I will analyse how and why gender, race and class are encoded in (social) robots and AI. I will also discuss the implications of this technology for society and how we can ensure that digital transformation contributes to an inclusive workplace and a social justice agenda. Through this analysis, we will consider the questions we need to ask in order to step back and think critically about gendered technology.

Programme

Sabine Theresia Köszegi is a Labor Science and Organization Professor at the Institute of Management Sciences at TU Vienna and Academic Director of the Executive MBA Innovation, Digitization and Entrepreneurship at the TU Continuing Education Academy. She holds a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences and a venia docendi in Business Administration from the University of Vienna. She is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Her research lies at the intersection of technology, work, and organisation and has been published in over 100 peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. In 2020, she was awarded the Käthe-Leichter State Prize for outstanding achievements in gender research. Since 2017, Sabine Theresia Köszegi has also been involved in scientific policy advice as Chair of the Austrian Council for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, as a member of the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, and as a member of the Future of Work Working Group of the European think-tank Bruegel. She is chairing the UNESCO Advisory Board on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Austria and is a member of the Austrian Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence.

More information

If you would like to attend the webinar, please register here before the 23rd of June.