When competing in the age of AI, the million dollar question businesses should ask but seldom does is “What does our AI team look like?”
Your solution depends quite a bit on who is involved in solving your problem.
Beyond gender and race, team diversity issue in AI is also about skills.
Historically, the kind of gatekeeping that was prevalent in industries like music and arts, existed in the field of AI. For long, AI was this “rocket science” that could be done only by a privileged few. E.g., When I was in college, one could not fathom an AI/ ML career without a PhD. Elitist gatekeeping discouraged people from unconventional/ occupational/ non-technical backgrounds from entering the holy grounds of AI.
This is why I’m pumped of for AI democratization.
Democratized AI= Accessible AI.
It means everyday developers – without advanced mathematical and computing science skills- have access to powerful AI models, algorithms and the computing resources necessary to use them.
It’s what makes an AI team an A-team. Because it means lowered barriers to entry in terms of resources and knowledge. It means more than just scientists involved in solving the world’s problems.
If you are building, buying or selling an AI solution- take a good look round the table. If everyone on your team thinks just the way you do – you may want to rethink who makes your team.
Liji Thomas 
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