A Deeper Dive into the Diversity Crisis in AI’s Global Transformation
by Brie Alexander, Cultural Advisor to the African Diaspora
at The Global Braintrust
DECEMBER 2024
Yamoussoukra, Ivory Coast – In the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence (AI), diversity is not just desirable—it’s critical, especially at the highest levels of decision-making. AI technology influences every aspect of modern life, from economic systems to personal privacy. However, a lack of diversity among AI decision-makers risks creating technologies that reinforce biases, overlook the needs of marginalized communities, and uphold the status quo of inequity.
People who identify as white represent only 16% of the global population, with white men comprising approximately half of that figure. Yet this small minority largely influences technology, which has far-reaching impacts on billions of people worldwide.
When a narrow demographic holds power over the development of AI, the resulting technologies often fail to represent the experiences and needs of the broader global population. AI systems are shaped by the data they are trained on and the people who create them.
When teams lack representation across different races, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds, the technologies they produce can reflect a narrow worldview, unintentionally perpetuating existing biases and negatively impacting marginalized communities. For instance, facial recognition technologies have been shown to misidentify people of color at disproportionately high rates, underscoring the need for a more inclusive approach to AI development.
Compounding this issue is the often hostile work environment faced by women and people of color in Silicon Valley. Many endure discrimination, microaggressions, and limited access to leadership roles. In many cases, the same tech leaders who resist diversifying leadership roles perpetuate a culture of exclusivity that makes the field increasingly inaccessible to diverse voices. When the leaders building and deploying AI are indifferent to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it becomes nearly impossible to address the biases embedded in these systems.
Furthermore, the industry’s inconsistent stance on DEI, shifting with political climates, compounds these challenges. Boeing’s recent decision to dismantle its DEI program while advancing partnerships that explore AI and military tech integration, along with Meta’s appointment of an all-white, all-male advisory council, serve as troubling examples. Both moves underscore a trend where DEI initiatives are deprioritized, symbolic, or dismissed altogether when inconvenient, despite clear evidence that diverse teams yield stronger, more innovative solutions.
This shortsightedness reveals a troubling reality: DEI efforts in tech are too often tokenized, prioritized only when politically convenient rather than integral to company values and innovation strategies. This dismissive approach overlooks the strategic advantage of diverse perspectives and denies the global population the chance to benefit from fair, ethical, and widely beneficial AI systems.
If AI is to serve the broader needs of humanity, we must champion diversity within its leadership. True change means empowering people from all backgrounds—particularly women and people of color—not only to participate in AI’s development but to shape its direction, design, and governance. By fostering inclusive leadership at every level, we have the potential to create an AI landscape that embodies innovation and serves as a force for equity, advancing a fairer, more just society.
This shift will only happen when diversity, equity, and inclusion are treated as essential values embedded within the very core of AI’s development rather than treated as optional or dictated by shifting political winds. The future of AI must be shaped by a chorus of diverse voices that represent the full spectrum of human experience. Only then can AI progress in a way that reflects the world it serves—equitably and inclusively.
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