AI and Gender Workshop

The Responsible AI Lab in KNUST, in partnership with Ladysmith, a feminist Research hub, organised a two-day Gender and Artificial Intelligence (AI) online workshop on 28^th March 2023 and 3^rd April 2023 to sensitise participants on the intersection of AI and Gender. 

The workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of what gender is and to demonstrate through empirical examples how gender has implicitly and explicitly shaped AI research, both in terms of the processes and outcomes of research.

Also, the workshop encouraged participants to think about their AI research and innovation through a gender lens. The workshop was attended by consortium members and partners of RAIL, students and AI enthusiasts from the general public. Dr. Rita Udor, the Gender Inclusivity Officer of RAIL, facilitated the workshop with Dr. Lorena Fuentes and Lucia Mesa Vélez, both from Ladysmith, as speakers.

”Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, The Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of RAIL, emphasised RAIL’s commitment to ensuring gender equality through responsible AI in his welcome address.“RAIL KNUST is leading efforts in Africa to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly,” he said.“Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, The Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of RAIL, emphasised RAIL’s commitment to ensuring gender equality through responsible AI in his welcome address. “RAIL KNUST is leading efforts in Africa to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly,” he said.

Participants were taken through a series of lectures and activities to get them to reflect on how gender blindness and biases may negatively affect their research processes and outcomes. Participants worked on “hands-on” action-oriented activities. They thought and mapped out how to incorporate gender throughout their various projects’ planning, designing and implementation.