Dearth of women in AI risks rise of sexist bots By City & Finance Reporter Updated: 13:10 GMT, 27 November 2023 e-mail 2 View comments Alarmed: Pensionbee boss Romi Savova Leading women in technology are warning that sexism risks being embedded into computer systems because so few female executives work in artificial intelligence (AI). Fewer than a quarter of those employed in the field of AI globally are female, according to the World Economic Forum. That number drops to about one in five in the UK. Female-founded AI startups win just 2 per cent of funding deals, according to the Alan Turing Institute. It means the new technology risks being shaped around the male mind, which could embed the subordination of women into these systems. Melinda Gates, the former wife of Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, recently warned she is ‘very nervous because we don’t have enough women… who have expertise in artificial intelligence’. She said more are needed or ‘we will bake bias into the system’. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next OpenAI boss Sam Altman in stunning comeback less than a week… Britain’s quest to build the next Silicon Valley gets £500m… Waze navigation app now has crash history feature that warns… AI windfall at Microsoft and Google Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Romi Savova, boss of the London-listed online pensions app Pensionbee, which uses AI, also rang alarm bells, saying: ‘The representation of senior women remains frustratingly sparse. The persistent gender funding gap for new businesses continues to cast a shadow over the potential of female-led innovations.’ Poppy Gustafsson, chief executive of cyber security firm Darktrace, said women historically had crucial roles in computer programming and code breaking, but their accomplishments are often overlooked. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS Stocks & shares Isa Stocks & shares Isa Easy investing Capital at risk. Isa rules & T&Cs apply. Investment ideas Free fund dealing Free fund dealing 0.45% account fee capped for shares Flat-fee investing No fees £9.99 monthly fee One free £5.99 trade per month Social investing Social investing Share investing 30+ million global community Model portfolios Investment account Free fund dealing Free financial coaching Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. This does not affect our editorial independence. > Compare the best investing platform for you Share or comment on this article: Dearth of women in AI risks rise of sexist bots e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. Comments 2 Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all The comments below have been moderated in advance. View all The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules . Submit Comment Clear Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. No Yes Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy . More top stories