Michaela Jeffery-Morrison, CEO and co-founder of Rise of global mediathe company behind Women in Tech World Series.
If you want to get an idea of how quickly things are changing in the 21st century, consider this: Almost 100 years elapsed between the first and second industrial revolution. Between the third and the fourth, about 40 years passed. And as if that didn’t make you dizzy enough, know that since 2019, we’ve been seriously talking about fifth.
Of course, it is increasingly difficult to put a finger on what constitutes an “industrial revolution”. Before, it was simple. The first was marked by the use of steam and hydraulic power. The second involves mass production, as well as the use of electricity. THE third has been marked by increasing digitalization, although this was so vaguely defined that no one could agree in its early days.
According to McKinsey, the fourth describes the “the era of connectivityadvanced analytics, automation, and advanced manufacturing technologies that have been transforming global commerce for years,” starting in the mid-2010s. And the fifth? The researchers noted that it will include “harmonious human-machine collaborations, with a particular focus on the well-being of multiple stakeholders (i.e. society, businesses, employees, customers)” and “integration of technological and human strengths” .
Which humans?
But which humans? The reality is that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has left women by the roadside. Progress in gender diversity over the past seven years has been hard-won, largely thanks to the incredible work of women and their allies.
Events focused on diversity, information and knowledge sharing, innovative models, growing awareness and recognition of the value of DEI and, in recent years, the creation of funds, networks and other groups , communities and businesses focused on women. increasing parity – it all made a difference. Progress is rarely linear, but progress has been made.
Despite this, we continue to find bias even in the most sophisticated forms of technology available, such as facial recognition technology and generative AI. The guardrails posed by generative AI tools can sometimes be circumvented, and some other types of AI have had to be abandoned.
We therefore have no reason to assume with complete certainty that the technologies involved in the “human-machine collaborations” of the Fifth Industrial Revolution will be immune to bias. To what extent can a machine be collaborative if exclusionary language or behavior is coded into it?
It depends on us.
History shows us that equality is rarely achieved by accident. From the suffragettes to the civil rights movement, individuals passionate about positive change and determined to achieve it are responsible for much of the human progress we take for granted today.
And that’s why the answer to the question…What will the Fifth Industrial Revolution mean for women?-is: it depends. And that depends on us. It is up to equality-minded individuals to ensure that the Fifth Industrial Revolution does not exclude women or any other group.
What can businesses do?
For one thing, stimulate diversity, equity and inclusion in technology. The only reliable way to ensure that natural and unconscious human biases do not creep into the technologies of today and tomorrow is to ensure that those who build, test and perfect these technologies represent, as much as possible, all humanity.
This requires, on the one hand, a growing awareness of the existence of biases and how they cause problems and, on the other hand, the pursuit of DEI strategies based on data, networking, mentoring and other proven ways to increase representation and participation.
It also requires positivity and energy. Because in a changing world, where there are always many pressures, staying the course can be difficult. But we must not forget that a diverse, inclusive and equitable society is best placed to meet and overcome challenges.
If we do all of this, then the “human” in “human-machine collaborations” mean human, and not just a part or even a few parts of the human community. And even though there have been obstacles and bumps in the road, I am optimistic. Because I’ve seen first-hand the incredible power people have to make change when it matters.
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