AI in the Boardroom
In a new and interesting application of artificial intelligence (AI), researchers have used an intelligent algorithm to research corporate diversity. Although the results are not surprising, the use of machine learning may enable us to examine diversity in new ways.
The study compiled photographs of top executives from nearly 500 companies representing some of the largest in the world. The complete dataset consisted of more than 7200 individuals in 38 countries. Image recognition was used to automatically determine the executives’ ages, races and sexes. The results were then compared to population profiles for their countries.
In every case, the percentage of female board members was below the percentage of women eligible for work. Of the companies represented, 22 had no women on their boards. Overall, nearly 79 percent of board members were male and nearly 80 percent were white, with only 3.6 percent black and 16.7 percent Asian.
The results suggest that more public discourse is needed to address these biases and ensure that leading companies and industries truly represent and understand the needs of the people whose lives they influence every day.
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