In the ever-expanding domain of AI, one concern stands out prominently: bias. Gender bias in AI systems affects not only individual users but also reinforces societal inequalities. The irony is that, while machines lack consciousness, their design and training often embed human prejudices deeply into their functionality.
As someone who has spent years building businesses from scratch, bootstrapping, juggling multiple disciplines, and jumping across industries, I’ve seen how bias in technology can disproportionately impact outcomes for entrepreneurs, especially women. Why? Because these tools are shaping how industries operate. They’re influencing hiring decisions, advertising, content generation, and even funding decisions in the entrepreneurial world.
Let’s discuss why you might face sexism in AI systems today, what’s being done to tackle this, and why avoiding gender-biased tools is crucial for female entrepreneurs in Europe.
AI’s Gender Bias Is Real, But It’s Not Personal
AI systems, like ChatGPT or governing algorithms in recruitment platforms, aren’t actively discriminatory. They’re just tools that learn from patterns. But their training data often reflects historical inequities. For example, studies suggest models are trained on vast datasets that associate women with “caregiving” occupations and men with leadership or technical roles. So, as you query or interact with AI, it might unintentionally recommend baking as a hobby when you asked about coding tips. This hap
FAQ
1. What is gender bias in AI and why does it exist?
Gender bias in AI refers to AI systems perpetuating stereotypes or unequal treatment based on gender. This occurs because these systems are trained on historical and often biased datasets, reflecting societal inequalities. Read more about gender bias in AI
2. How does AI bias affect women in entrepreneurship and business?
AI bias in tools used for hiring, advertising, or funding decisions can disproportionately impact women, often steering them towards stereotypical roles or disadvantaging them in competitive spaces. Learn about AI’s impact on entrepreneurship
3. Why can't AI systems 'admit' to being sexist?
AI systems lack consciousness or intent; any "admission" of sexism is a function of placating language models and not indicative of self-awareness. Find out why AI can’t admit bias
4. How do chatbots like ChatGPT exhibit bias in their outputs?
ChatGPT and similar models may reflect biases present in their training data, such as associating women with caregiving professions and men with leadership roles, leading to discriminatory suggestions. Explore chatbot gender bias
5. Can biased AI tools influence career recommendations?
Yes, biased AI tools have been shown to recommend stereotypical roles, limiting diversity in career options. For instance, female names receive emotional language in career recommendations, while male names receive skill-based evaluations. Understand AI’s career bias
6. What can be done to reduce gender bias in AI?
Reducing gender bias in AI includes improving data quality, diversifying datasets, increasing demographic representation in development teams, and incorporating fairness-centric algorithms. Learn how to reduce AI bias
7. What is UNESCO’s stance on gender bias in AI?
UNESCO has highlighted how biased AI can amplify societal inequalities and recommends regulatory frameworks to monitor and mitigate such biases. See UNESCO’s study on gender bias in AI
8. Do open-source AI models also show significant gender bias?
Yes, open-source models like Llama 2 exhibit significant gender bias due to similar training data challenges as proprietary models, but their transparency offers opportunities for collaborative improvement. Understand gender bias in open-source models
9. Are there documented cases of AI bias impacting real-world users?
Several documented cases show AI systems promoting stereotypes. For instance, AI has been reported suggesting traditionally feminine hobbies over technical interests for female users. Discover documented AI bias cases
10. Why is diversity in AI development teams important?
Diversity in AI development teams fosters inclusive perspectives, which helps identify and address biases proactively, creating more equitable AI systems. Review the importance of diversity in AI development
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
