Five reasons why AI in Canada needs more women

Over the course of the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become recognized as one of the keys to solving some of the world's most complex issues, unlocking a level of growth and innovation that has never been seen before. Governments across the globe are now shifting gear, actively designing investment approaches, incentives and discussing regulatory frameworks to help their nations maintain a top spot in this emerging industry. And much like global counterparts, Canadian policy makers and industries are grappling with the challenge of regulating without stifling innovation. AI was a central focus at the 2017 annual business of AI conference hosted by Rotman's Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a Canadian accelerator that builds AI-powered startups. At the conference, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the following about AI: "Let's be part of it and help shape it, and let's make sure we're benefiting from the innovations – in both the designing of them and the applications and the jobs." Let's remember this isn't just a gender issue, we need to think broader and ensure our machines are learning about ethnicity, race, language, skin colour, and age.