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This year’sWomen in Tech Summit 2024 was a celebration of the power and innovation that women bring to the technology industry. The event also showed the direction of the world, whose image is being shaped by neurodiversity and technologies such as generative artificial intelligence. It is these factors that are helping to create a more inclusive and dynamic IT industry.
Table of Contents:
- From invisible to leaders: women are changing the face of IT
- Neurodiversity: the key to innovation and development
- GenAI: The future of generative artificial intelligence
- Education and mentoring: the path to growth in IT
- Balance in the age of technology – tech-life balance
- People shaping the future: the role of the individual in the world of technology
From invisible to leaders: women are changing the face of IT
Until recently, women struggled to get their presence in the IT industry recognized. Today they are equal partners to men, often acting as leaders who drive innovation and set new directions. This change is not only due to the fact that female specialists bring a unique perspective on technological solutions. They are empathetic, patient and cooperative-oriented, exhibit creativity and pay close attention to detail, which allows them to excel at tasks that require precision and adherence to procedures. These features make it easier to work on innovations.
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The presence of women in IT teams is crucial, as it brings a broad perspective and gives an opportunity to properly take care of diversity, which allows us to effectively combat biases in artificial intelligence algorithms. Companies’ proactive approach to diversity and inclusivity in project teams is key to success. Training AI models, monitoring and testing them in different scenarios affects how they will function in the future. The content we provide should be free of stereotypes and biased beliefs. Artificial intelligence was created by humans and is a reflection of ourselves. We face the challenge of questioning our own knowledge and beliefs.
One can refer here to the statement of Alvin Toffler, who already 50 years ago predicted that the challenge of the 21st century will be to learn, unlearn and re-learn,” emphasizes Ewelina Waclawik-Macura, who discussed the topic of diversity in AI training at the “Women in Tech Summit” together with Katarzyna Paluch. In GlobalLogic’s teams involved in artificial intelligence deep learning and machine learning projects, of which the two female managers are a part, more than 57% of engineers are women.
Neurodiversity: the key to innovation and development
Neurodiversity is a concept that refers to naturally occurring variation in the way the human brain processes information in a population. Neurodiverse people in this view are those whose way of thinking and reacting deviates from what is socially recognized as the norm, i.e. neurotypical. At the same time, this approach indicates that “non-normativity” is not a deficit, but only a variation, whereby, for example, people on the autism spectrum or with ADHD can bring unique skills and ways of seeing to the workplace. Skillfully conducted, they can excel in areas such as data analysis, systems thinking or creative problem solving.
The goal of an organization in the 21st century must be to ensure that the way it recruits and organizes work is oriented to maximize the potential and uniqueness of all employees. This means, for example, that employers should, where possible, move away from traditional interview-based recruiting methods to ones that verify a broader spectrum of skills. It is also advisable to make internal communication processes and methods more flexible to address the needs of diverse audiences. This approach will allow organizations to reach a wider pool of talent in an increasingly competitive market, as well as increase productivity and efficiency by applying non-obvious perspectives to solve technical and business problems, notes Patrycja Bajorska, Competency Head at GlobalLogic. During Women in Tech 2024, she and Project Manager Justyna Wasilewska led a workshop on neurodiversity and its importance in organizations, including in the context of effective leadership communication styles in IT teams.
Understanding neurodiversity is a new goal, but also a challenge for companies across industries. They must open up to creating work environments that support the different needs of employees. This includes not only adjusting workplaces or flexibility in team management, but also providing appropriate training for managers.
GenAI: The future of generative artificial intelligence
There’s a reason generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) thematically dominates the 2024 Women in Tech conference. This is a technology that has broken into our daily lives and is already successfully supporting specialists in various fields in their daily tasks. Speakers emphasized that in the future, 80% of social media content will be generated by AI. At the same time, they pointed to algorithms as our way of dealing with the problem of “data deluge,” a situation in which huge amounts of new data are generated at such a rapid pace that we have no way to manage it effectively. Technology opens up the opportunity to be able to analyze and interpret them, and thus understand and practically use them.
The potential of GenAI and its impact on various industries has been generating much discussion about the future of the labor market for months. While many workers are concerned about their employment in the face of rapid technological advances, experts stress that it is not the systems themselves that are taking away jobs. This is done by people who can take advantage of new opportunities in the profession to work more efficiently, effectively and without errors.
Introducing GenAI into business processes presents separate challenges. In order to ensure the safe and ethical development of AI, transparency, accountability and education are necessary.
– Transparency refers to the comprehensibility and accessibility of information about how algorithms work, the data used and the decisions made. It helps to better understand how AI systems work, and to detect and eliminate errors or biases.
– Accountability means that technology developers and users must be aware of the consequences of their actions. The introduction of clear legal and ethical regulations is essential to ensure that AI development respects human rights. This is crucial for building public trust.
– Education is an indispensable part of understanding how to use technology. Both developers and users need to be well informed about the capabilities, limitations and potential risks of AI.
In this regard, solutions that help organizations select and implement artificial intelligence models that precisely meet their needs are proving helpful. They make it easier for employed professionals to perform their duties. They enable companies to use the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence to, for example, better administer data or write code based on documentation. Current solutions, such as the Platform Platform from GlobalLogic, are an opportunity for many organizations, buried in thousands of documents saved over the years, to put accumulated knowledge to practical use.
Education and mentoring: the path to growth in IT
The Women in Tech 2024 conference also stressed the importance of education and the need for mentoring to be widely available to all. It should not be reserved only for a select few, but available to anyone who wants to develop their skills and career. Mentoring supports professional and personal development by providing valuable guidance and support. According to Development Dimensions International, 67% of women emphasize the significant impact of mentoring on their professional development. At the same time, 2 in 3 respondents say they have never formally had a mentor.
Experts present at the event pointed out the need for a more hands-on approach to training and development. It is extremely important that the programs in place at companies are tailored to different professional groups, including older people who are still active in the workforce, mothers returning to the labor market, and women and men looking for a change of career after many years in other fields.
Mentoring programs that address these needs benefit not only employees or candidates, but also the organization itself. Studies show that they translate into higher job satisfaction and higher levels of motivation for professionals, but also into better performance for the companies that offer them.
Creating development programs that are flexible, tailored to individual needs and take into account the diversity of participants’ work experience is necessary to meet the challenges of today’s labor market. According to forecasts, the mentoring software market is expected to reach $2 billion by 2036, demonstrating the growing demand for related solutions.
Balance in the age of technology – tech-life balance
Sustainability of technology is key to truly realize its potential while not letting it dominate us. Women in science, engineering and technology play a key role in this area, ensuring inclusivity, equal opportunities for all and taking into account the aforementioned neurodiversity.
Technology itself does not have emotions, but its users do. That is why it is so important today to design and develop tools in such a way that they take into account this aspect of humanity. Modern solutions have powerful capabilities and in many ways make everyday life easier, but they can also frustrate if they are not designed with the user in mind. Understanding the emotions that come with interacting with technology is essential to creating products that are not only functional, but also friendly and satisfying to use. Hence, it becomes so important to strengthen cooperation between technical and non-technical professionals.
Combining these different perspectives makes it possible to create products and services that are both innovative and tailored to the real needs of users. Effective cooperation in this field requires open communication, mutual respect and understanding. Building an organizational culture that promotes interdisciplinarity and supports continuous learning is also key. Under such conditions, professionals and entire organizations can better respond to change, innovate and achieve long-term success.
People shaping the future: the role of the individual in the world of technology
The future of IT and the world as a whole is not only technology, but first and foremost the people who create it and are responsible for its development. No division between men and women, regardless of gender, age or experience. The need and challenge of the modern world is to create a space where everyone feels valued and can make the most of their strengths, regardless of neurotypicality. This is the key to building a better future for all.
Diversity is essential to drive innovation, break through constraints and overcome barriers that impede development – whether at the level of the professional, the organization or even the entire civilization. It depends on the decisions we make today and our approach to innovation whether technology will truly become a tool to level the playing field and open the door to new opportunities for everyone.
Today’s technological world requires us to have not only technical knowledge, but also soft skills, empathy and understanding of diversity. Inclusion and acceptance of different perspectives lead to better, more thoughtful solutions that address the real needs of society. Women, people with different life experiences and different ways of thinking, bring invaluable values to the IT industry, shaping a future that is more sustainable and equitable.
To succeed, organizations must actively strive to create a culture that promotes interdisciplinarity, continuous learning and open communication. Examples of such activities include mentoring programs and educational initiatives that support the professional and personal development of all employees. Introducing transparent rules, accountability and education about AI, as well as designing technology with emotional aspects in mind, will help build trust and acceptance among users.
In conclusion, the future of technology is the future of people. Only by working together, understanding and leveraging diverse talents can we create a world where technology serves everyone, not just a select few. The decisions we make today will define how technology will affect our lives in the years to come. It is our responsibility to make sure that it will be a vehicle for positive change that will open up new opportunities and level the playing field for all.
At GentleWoman.eu, we promote the idea that technology should be a tool to improve the quality of life for all women, regardless of their background, experience or mindset. Through cooperation, mutual respect and understanding, we can create a world in which every woman has an equal opportunity to grow and succeed. Building a future where technology is a tool for positive change is our shared responsibility.
We invite you to read articles on GentleWoman.eu, where you will find inspiration and support on the road to creating a better future for all.
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