Companies developing powerful artificial intelligence systems must have independent board members representing the "interests of society", according to an expert regarded as one of the modern godfathers of the technology. Yoshua Bengio, a co-winner of the 2018 Turing Award – referred to as the "Nobel prize of computing" – said AI firms must have oversight from members of the public, as advances in the technology accelerate rapidly. Speaking in the wake of the boardroom upheaval at the ChatGPT developer OpenAI, including the exit and return of its chief executive, Sam Altman, Bengio said a "democratic process" was needed to monitor developments in the field. "How do we make sure that these advances are happening in a way that doesn't endanger the public? How do we make sure that they're not abused for increasing one's power?" the AI pioneer told the Guardian. "To me, the answer is obvious in principle.

Encouraging women in AI has never been more urgent. A study by the World Economic Forum noted a gender disparity of 78 percent male versus 22 percent female in AI and data science. It reflects a highly nuanced issue that goes beyond any single workplace and if not addressed will have highly negative implications for society. We have seen a lot of work to encourage girls and women to become interested in STEMand address gaps in digital skills at an earlier age than in the past. Yet now, there appears to be less effort to support women as they transition from higher education into a sustainable career in tech.

Encouraging women in AI has never been more urgent. A study by the World Economic Forum noted a gender disparity of 78 percent male versus 22 percent female in AI and data science. It reflects a highly nuanced issue that goes beyond any single workplace and if not addressed will have highly negative implications for society. We have seen a lot of work to encourage girls and women to become interested in STEM and address gaps in digital skills at an earlier age than in the past. Yet now, there appears to be less effort to support women as they transition from higher education into a sustainable career in tech.

The founders of LinkedIn and eBay are donating a combined $20m (£16.4m) to fund academic research aimed at ensuring the safety of artificial intelligences. LinkedIn's founder Reid Hoffman and the Omidyar network, the philanthropic investment firm set up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, are donating $10m each to the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, which will distribute money to researchers working on the tough ethical problems raised by AI. "There's an urgency to ensure that AI benefits society and minimises harm," said Hoffman. "AI decision-making can influence many aspects of our world – education, transportation, healthcare, criminal justice and the economy – yet data and code behind those decisions can be largely invisible." The specific research areas the fund will focus on aren't fixed, but the possibilities include ethical design – "how do we build and design technologies that consider ethical frameworks and moral values as central features of technological innovation?" – and accountability in AI – "what kinds of controls do we need to minimise AI's potential harm to society and maximise its benefits?" The Knight Foundation is also contributing $5m to the fund, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Raptor Group founder Jim Pallotta are giving $1m each.

The founders of LinkedIn and eBay are donating a combined $20m (£16.4m) to fund academic research aimed at ensuring the safety of artificial intelligences. LinkedIn's founder Reid Hoffman and the Omidyar network, the philanthropic nonprofit set up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, are donating $10m each to the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, which will distribute money to researchers working on the tough ethical problems raised by AI. "There's an urgency to ensure that AI benefits society and minimises harm," said Hoffman. "AI decision-making can influence many aspects of our world – education, transportation, healthcare, criminal justice and the economy – yet data and code behind those decisions can be largely invisible." The specific research areas the fund will focus on aren't fixed, but the possibilities include ethical design – "how do we build and design technologies that consider ethical frameworks and moral values as central features of technological innovation?" – and accountability in AI – "what kinds of controls do we need to minimise AI's potential harm to society and maximise its benefits?" The Knight Foundation is also contributing $5m to the fund, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Raptor Group founder Jim Pallotta are giving $1m each.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, Tesla and PayPal, is worried about killer robots. "You know those stories where there's the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, and he's sure he can control the demon?" he has warned. That "unfriendly AI", as it is known in tech circles, would not be a boon for humanity is an easy cause to get behind. But unlike Musk – a tech entrepreneur who stands to make huge financial gains from AI in the short term – most of us don't have the luxury of taking the long view. The defeat, last week, of one of the world's strongest Go players, Lee Sedol, demonstrates the qualitative leap in AI that has already taken place.