Reflections on a Rigorous Year in AI
I am grateful for 2018. It has been a rigorous and rewarding year.
Looking back, I thought it would be useful to highlight three areas which developed me further, both professionally and personally, in case they help those on similar paths.
1) Public Speaking & Voice Training: I cannot recommend a formal training in this space highly enough. Having been a science/ math nerd all my life, such skills were always there to pick up at high school, university, MBA, etc., but I clearly had not taken them seriously enough. And yet; landing messages successfully — especially as a non-native speaker — and having confidence in one’s content, voice, and body language are not only vital for any job, but also incredibly liberating. I sincerely wish I could have had this training years ago. (To my pleasant surprise, my 10-year old son is already doing way better in this front thanks to his music lessons at primary school: “Of course, you need to warm up your voice before you say anything important, Mum!? Everyone knows that.” There you go. I learned it last year. Better late than never.
2) Scaling a more Democratic, Inclusive AI: I get my energy from working with our partners and customers. With the dizzying, explosive growth in AI, we spent pretty much %60–70 of our time on the road; working with incredible organisations worldwide, sharing our learnings, getting feedback for our solutions. We decided on a SaaS model where we truly democratize Enterprise AI, making it available to organizations of all sizes and diverse business models. I am also proud that we, as Microsoft, launched and scaled many life-changing, inclusive AI initiatives such as Seeing AI, Microsoft Translator, and AI for Humanitarian Action.
3) Giving back, especially in the form of Technology Education and Diversity & Inclusion efforts: Working in AI made me even more conscious about my long-term passion in Diversity & Inclusion. As I can see first-hand how these fascinating solutions can at the same time amplify some long-running issues engrained in our societies, I am committed to make an impact in this space. I am pleased to find out that even my personal, small-scale volunteer work on AI upskilling and D&I reached c.1,000 girls and women in 2018. Every bit counts. Really. If you would like to join or have new ideas, please reach out.
AI Resources, Books, and Tech Education
One of the most common questions I get in my speaking engagements and volunteer work is how to learn more about AI and how to join this space as a technical/ non-technical talent. I found the following sources immensely useful in ramping up on my AI/ ML knowledge in 2018, and this hands-on learning experience has been extremely fun and refreshing. I look forward to completing the ‘Microsoft Professional Programme for AI’ in 2019. For those interested:
Several books I read in 2018 left big marks on how I perceive AI and envision the future. They made me realize yet again, what a privilege it is to be at the centre of some tectonic technological changes and to have the capability and influence to shape this transformation. As with any privilege, I also feel an enormous responsibility to do well — in particular, in AI & Inclusion. A few favourites are:
1. AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order: Fascinating analysis on China’s jump start on AI and its unique advantages over Silicon Valley or other AI hubs in scaling these technologies.
2. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A bit grim but true stretch of the mind and imagination on how life with AI/ ML can unfold.
3. The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World: One of the best books on AI in telling both how the technology works and its implications.
4. The Future Computed: Our succinct, insightful (and free) e-book on Microsoft’s approach to AI and its role in society. With a foreword by our inspiring leaders, Brad Smith and Harry Shum.
5. Homo Deus: Non-technical, thought-provoking perspective on the future.
On a related note; Brotopia, Playing Big, and Inferior How Science Got Women Wrong-and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story presented priceless insights on why female diversity ratio in Computer Science/ Technology and AI/ ML fields is %12 today and what can be done to reverse this mortifying downward trend (the figure was %37 in 1985). As discussed in my previous piece Mindful Optimism for Women in Life 3.0, I am committed to do my best in improving this situation and make AI a more inclusive force for good.
As a felicitous offshoot of this commitment, my social impact work in tech education and D&I to welcome more women, girls, and teens in AI has enriched my job, rendering it even more meaningful and gratifying in 2018. I cannot recommend participating in such events highly enough, and I am delectably surprised to calculate that these efforts reached c. 1,000 girls and women in 2018 alone. One of my new year’s resolutions is to further these efforts in a more systematic and orchestrated manner to enlarge their scope and impact.
- Microsoft ‘Girls in STEM’ AI Bootcamp — Athens, August 27–31st.
- ‘Girls in AI’ Global Hackathon — London, Oct 13–14th.
- ‘Teens in AI’ NASA Global Space Hackathon — London, Oct 20–21st.
- Code:First Girls Conference 2018 — London, Nov 10th.
- Microsoft DigiGirlz UK — Reading, Nov 20th
- eXtreme Austin: Women in Technology Mentoring Lunch, Dec 4th, 2018
- Istanbul Highschool (IELEV) ‘AI & You’ Teens in AI Talk, Dec 7th, 2018
In parallel, my son’s passion and curiosity for coding and tech gadgets have inspired me to immerse myself in our AI & tech education model at schools and supplementary resources for children and teens. Hackathons and bootcamps are by far the best way to get these curious, stimulated minds stretched. I have also observed that these astonishing youngsters enjoy getting their hands dirty on Do-It-Yourself (‘DIY’) hardware such as CreoQode or micro:bit as they want to come home with something tangible at the end of the day. Leading Coding & AI/ ML Camps are doing a substantial job in complementing formal ICT education at schools: Digital Media Academy, iD Tech, FunTech, firetech, Code:First Girls to name a few. No wonder why these are usually ‘sold out’ months in advance both in the U.K. and the U.S. I will continue to be an ardent benefactress of educators worldwide in embracing AI and making the most of this phenomenal technology to prepare new generations and our future in the best way.
Please do reach out if you would like to join any of these efforts or have new ideas. Let’s amplify the impact. Happy, healthy, inclusive, and inquisitive 2019!
