Why WSAI and why now?
We stand at the precipice of a technological revolution - one that will redefine industries, societies, and the very fabric of our daily lives. Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant future; it is here, and it is shaping the world we live in. But who is shaping AI technology? And for whom is AI being shaped?
History has shown us what happens when women are excluded from technological advancements. Time and again, from the Industrial Revolution to the digital age, women have been sidelined, their perspectives ignored, their contributions minimized. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself.
The Gender Gap in AI
Women remain underrepresented in AI, making up less than a third of AI professionals and only 18% of AI researchers globally. In AI training programs, women represent just 28% of enrollments worldwide. This is not just a pipeline problem; it is a participation crisis - women are 16 percentage points less likely than men to use AI tools in the workplace. With 66% of leaders saying they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, this gap puts women’s careers at risk. If we do not change this trajectory, we risk a world where AI-driven data, algorithms, and decision-making frameworks will be biased, incomplete, and fundamentally unrepresentative of half the population.
The Consequences of Exclusion
AI is already perpetuating gender biases. Job recruitment algorithms favor male candidates, image generators hypersexualize women, and deepfake technology disproportionately targets women with fake intimate images. For example, a government dataset used to test AI facial recognition contained 75% men and 80% lighter-skinned individuals, with less than 5% women of color, reinforcing the "pale male" data problem. This is not just about fairness; it is about power and agency. If AI is shaping the future of work, science, and education, then women must be in the room where these decisions are made.
The Time to Act is Now
Women leaders must take the reins. With women at the decision-making table, organizations are more likely to develop socially responsible policies. The workforce is already being reshaped: 80% of U.S. workers could see at least 10% of their tasks affected by AI, and nearly one in five could see at least half of their tasks transformed. Women constitute a significant portion of the clerical workforce, and these roles are among the most vulnerable to displacement. The reluctance to adopt and learn about AI widens the gap, leaving women behind in the very revolution that could empower them. But it’s not too late (yet).
What Women Gain from Joining WSAI:
Education: Knowledge is power. Women who join WSAI will gain access to a wealth of resources designed to equip them with the skills, insights, and networks necessary to thrive in an AI-driven world.
Career Development: By learning about AI, women will be empowered to shape conversations and decisions about AI policy within their organizations. Women will future-proof their careers by investing in their own professional development and becoming part of a network that is solving new-to-world challenges for which no playbook exists.
Networking: Most importantly, WSAI is a movement. By joining, women become part of something bigger than themselves, partnering with fellow leaders to influence the future of AI and ensure that no one is left behind.
A Future We Shape Together: WSAI is not just about keeping pace with technological change. We are building a global community of women who will not only participate in AI but will lead it. We will demand better representation in AI roles, push for ethical AI policies, and ensure that AI serves all of humanity. We believe in responsible AI, ethical AI, and AI for good.
We have the power to break the cycle. To ensure AI reduces inequalities rather than amplifies them. To embed fairness, transparency, and inclusion into the technologies that will define the next century. The question is not whether AI will change the world. The question is: will women be at the table, shaping that change?
Join us. It’s free. The future is being written - let’s make sure our voices are in the narrative.
