The reason AI exists is to make our lives simpler, actions faster, knowledge more usable and decision-making more assured. In these regards, AI has done a fine job and continues to do so in both personal and professional contexts. Despite this, you would come across countless concerns about the ‘ethical issues’ posed by the technology. Pay closer attention, and you will realize that most of these issues stem from human negligence or ignorance. It goes without saying that the relationship between AI and human rights can only be as good as we humans enable it to be. AI-powered systems act on the basis of how competently they have been built and trained. So, executing those two tasks ethically can make sure that AI tools and applications will never violate any human right. The use of AI for humanitarian action necessitates the need to involve several different factors in the research and development phases of AI algorithms. Here, we will see how the right policies and practices, coupled with the right personnel, can resolve the so-called ‘problems’ AI related to human rights.

Valerie Thomas retired from NASA in 1995 after three decades of work, and she left with a legacy as a trailblazing scientist and creative inventor. More than 20 years later, her contributions and her dedication to teaching and uplifting underrepresented youth in her field are still making an impact. During Thomas’s three-decade career at NASA, she connected scientists with the data they need to understand our planet.

The mathematician Ingrid Daubechies’ pioneering work in signal processing helped make our electronic world possible - and beat a path for women in the field. Daubechies’ wide-ranging and collegial mind-set has amounted to something of a social movement. Read more about her interesting life and work.

Launching a new business is not easy, never mind bringing to market an entirely new product or service. oanna Parker could hardly believe that when she landed a deal for her new company, Yumble Kids, from Bethenny Frankel on Shark Tank. However, It was not just Shark Tank or Bethanny Frankel that made Yumble Kids successful. It was Parker’s foresight to test the market before going into full-on launch mode. That not only gave her a proof of concept but also the opportunity to get valuable feedback from her target audience. Here are some tips how to start a new and successful business.

In 1970, American luggage executive Bernard Sadow took four castors from a wardrobe, secured them to a suitcase, and added a strap. It was the world’s first rolling suitcase. Except that it wasn’t. Anita Willets-Burnham, an American impressionist artist, may be the earliest inventor of the wheeled suitcase. Before embarking on a second world tour in 1928, she came up with the idea to put wheels on a suitcase. Her son implemented her idea using two baby carriage wheels and a telescoping wooden handle. Fast-forward to the 1970s, Sadow had trouble getting department store chains to sell his rolling suitcase. The reason was due to two gender stereotypes: The first was that men would not use a wheeled suitcase because it was too effeminate. The second was the industry assumption that women always travelled with men who could carry the bags. It took 15 more years for the wheeled suitcase to go mainstream, taking off in 1987 when U.S. pilot Robert Plath created the modern cabin bag with wheels and an extended handle—similar to the telescoping handle on Burnham’s 1928 suitcase. A more recent example of gender bias inhibiting progress relates to the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Katalin Karikó researched messenger RNA (mRNA) for decades—but her efforts were repeatedly dismissed and devalued by her employer, the University of Pennsylvania. When she was unable to find research funding, the university demoted her out of her tenure-track position in 1995. Normally, university faculty who are denied tenure leave. Karikó stayed for eight more years but was never reinstated to her tenure-track position.

We need to reflect on how we wield our words as scientists and educators, especially when doing work to make academe and science more diverse, writes Maria Qadri. Education is supposed to be a lifelong process. It is not something that ends with a terminal degree or accolade. In learning about our disciplines, those of us who are in STEM fields must not forget to learn about ourselves. We should set aside an hour, a minute or at least a mere moment to the intentional self-reflection that ensures inclusive practice. What are we doing to make the world a little bit better, who we are truly serving, and how are we upholding systems and structures that perpetuate injustice? As we learn more about who we are, what we value, and where we come up short, we do better at achieving the transformation in scientific pedagogy and research that we advocate for.

Meet Stephanie Kwolek, who's invention of Kevlar has saved countless lives over the past 40 years. Kevlar is a fiber five times stronger than steel that is now used in numerous products ranging from boots for firefighters to spacecraft - and most famously, in bulletproof vests. It's estimated that since Kevlar's introduction to body armor in the 1970s, the lives of over 3,000 police officers have been saved, as well as those of innumerable soldiers and others in conflict zones. On the day that the pioneering chemist passed away in June 2014 at the age of 90, DuPont announced that the one-millionth protective vest made using Kwolek's lifesaving invention was sold.

A book of stories of ingenious inventions by women; In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities? This updated and expanded 2018 edition includes even more inventors and their inventions that reflect our diverse and technological world. An outstanding collective biography of women and girls who changed the world with their inventions. Thimmesh surveys unique and creative ideas that were both borne of necessity or were simply a product of ingenuity and hard work.

Qualcomm has identified strategic partners to accelerate our inclusion and diversity programs. Their continued engagement with organizations that work with diverse communities has been vital to our success at increasing female and minority representation. They’re building our bench strength through collaborations with many organizations, such as: Anita Borg Institute, Employer Support of the Guard & Reserves, National Center for Women & Information Technology, The National GEM Consortium, FairyGodBoss, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and others.

In summer 2020, protests erupted across the U.S., sparked by the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other Black Americans. Within the tech industry, many leaders made public statements, financial commitments, and policy changes meant to improve equity and inclusion within their walls - and in the products they peddle. To commemorate the first anniversary of these protests, Fast Company partnered with The Plug, a publication that covers the Black innovation economy, to examine what those commitments are, what they have achieved - and how much work still remains. For Ken Chenault, the chairman and managing director of VC fund General Catalyst, a board member at Airbnb, and the cofounder of OneTen, a group of executives committed to upskilling, hiring, and advancing one million Black Americans in the corporate world, the amount of talk about DEI feels promising - but there’s still a lot of work to be done.