Blog of Stefania Briganti, from Soroptimist International Europe Federation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies of our time, impacting sectors like healthcare, finance, transportation, entertainment, education, and industry. It has revolutionised how we live, work, and interact by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing accuracy. However, AI also presents risks such as algorithmic bias, privacy breaches, autonomous weapon systems, and the displacement of human labour. To address these important issues, the SI Livorno Club in Italy hosted a conference titled “Artificial Intelligence, New Scenarios,” led by Club President Maria Bacci di Capaci. This event aimed to educate Soroptimist members and the public on AI from various perspectives.

AI’s Impact on the Future

Darya Majydi, President of Donne 4.0 and CEO of Daxo Group, highlighted the future impact of AI. Technologies from the fourth industrial revolution provide access to vast data, and transforming this data into knowledge through AI will be a key challenge. Unlike traditional software, which uses pre-set algorithms, AI systems learn from data via machine learning, making data accuracy crucial, because existing biases and stereotypes in society could be amplified by AI.

Currently, 85% of AI experts are men, limiting female perspectives; thus, Involving women and diverse backgrounds is vital for inclusive AI systems. Thanks to the Donne 4.0 Association, many projects have been created that bring women and girls closer to AI.

AI and Digital Advertising: Opportunities and Risks

Eleonora Baglini, Digital Media Supervisor and Italy Market Lead at Walt Disney Company in Milan then moved on to discuss “AI and Digital Advertising: Opportunities and Risks”.

Technology and digital advertising are so intertwined that any development in IT (including AI) is reflected in digital advertising. Recently, companies like Google, Meta and Amazon have developed AI-led advertising solutions, lifting the burden of time-consuming tasks off the shoulders of digital advertisers.

However, despite the undeniable advancements brought to many fields, we must consider that technology comes with risks. For example, streamlining the creation of new adverts lowers production costs but brings a high risk of counterfeiting, opening the way to the spread of fake or dangerous news. Moreover, AI needs extensive training to work properly, meaning that training an algorithm on biased or flawed materials amplifies the error throughout the whole model.

Fortunately, the big players that are shaping the world of AI seem to be aware of its dangers and have launched dedicated programmes aimed at creating a safer online environment. However, despite their commitment, it’s mostly up to the users to remember that AI is not foolproof and needs continuous supervision.

Reflections on AI in the Classroom

Filippo Chiariello, Researcher at the University of Pisa School of Engineering then spoke about “Learning to interact with ChatGPT: reflections on AI in the classroom”.

The scientific paper presented focused on the potential impact of text-based generative AI, like ChatGPT, on education.

Based on recent research activities carried out by the Business Engineering for Data Science Lab (B4DS) group of Engineering at the University of Pisa, Filippo’s analysis explored the ways in which users interact with these technologies, the advanced demands and the potential implications of introducing such tools in the educational field. The uncertainty surrounding the use of these kind of AI in classrooms is still significant, highlighting the need for both a proactive and critical approach. The research emphasises the importance of integrating these technologies into teaching in an informed manner, promoting constructive dialogue between teachers and students. It also highlights how diversity plays a key role in learning, emphasising the need to include different perspectives and backgrounds to fully understand the potential and limitations of these artificial intelligences in the educational context.

The aim is to navigate the challenges posed by these technologies, enhancing their benefits while recognising their risks, for effective and critical integration in education.

AI and Health

Rosa Maranto, Corporate Coordinator Health and Gender Medicine AUSL Toscana Nordovest, talked about “Artificial Intelligence and Gender Health: limits and perspectives”.

Women and men have a different physiopathology and therefore different disease manifestations and responses to drugs. A careful approach to the biological, psychological and cultural differences between the two sexes is needed in medical research, but we must also consider the impact of AI, which is increasingly present in health decisions.

We are faced with enormous potential that requires awareness of the possible risks. The quality of an AI system depends on the quality of the data: a system trained on data reflecting gender bias perpetuates and amplifies such biases in its results, discriminating against under-represented patients.

There is therefore a need for ‘responsible’ AI where reliable systems with appropriate methodologies are developed; however, above all, there is a need for an underlying cultural change that tends to be inclusive, to reduce and progressively eliminate gender bias in the community itself.

Will psyche change with AI?

To close, psychologist and psychotherapist Fiorella Chiappi discussed how the evolution of AI raises complex ethical questions, including accountability, equity and control of technologies. These ethical considerations require increased efforts in democratic participation, research, regulation and monitoring of the psychophysical effects of technologies and their uses. Some key takeaways include:

• Analysis of possible scenarios associated with technological innovations, avoiding one-sided approaches and extremes such as utopian or radical dystopian visions;
• Evaluation of opportunities, such as increased information, communication, learning, support and solutions in health and safety, etc., but also risks, such as inequality, unemployment, abuse, and invasion of privacy;
• Scientific research into the effects on the psyche of technological tools such as robots and chatbots, especially with fragile subjects;
• Identifying and combating bias, especially gender bias, to avoid the risks of unequal use of systems and forms of discrimination;
• Strategies to reduce excessive interconnectedness and its risks: emphasis on instant gratification, superficial attention and a decrease in time devoted to emotional and relational practice; and

Development of the skills needed to manage this technological revolution, including life, soft and smart skills, as well as ethical intelligence and flexibility with respect to constant changes.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool that has transformed many aspects of modern society. Its contributions to efficiency, productivity, healthcare, and sustainability are undeniable.

However, AI implementation’s ethical considerations and challenges must be addressed proactively and the need for comprehensive ethical frameworks and regulatory oversight to mitigate the potential harm AI poses to society must be emphasised. With responsible development and thoughtful regulation, AI has the potential to continue positively shaping our society, enhancing our lives, and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth, so long as we manage to manage it properly and make it widely understood, because education is the basis of any informed choice.