From fighting against the unethical use of AI to harnessing it as a tool for positive change, these women tackle the technology in different ways.
Earlier this month, TIME revealed its list of the 100 most influential people in AI (artificial intelligence).
This is the publication’s second edition of the list, moving forward from its development in the lab and tech companies.
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TIME100 AI focuses on the technology’s possibilities once released into the world and how these individuals have learned to deal with it.
Cari Tuna
In 2015, Open Philanthropy made its first donation of over $1 million towards reducing the risks of advanced AI. As the foundation’s president, Cari Tuna has continued to make large donations to researchers who are studying ways to reduce the possible catastrophic threats the technology poses.
Through Open Philanthropy, she and her husband Dustin Moskovitz (co-founder of Facebook and Asana) have donated roughly $400 million to AI. The foundation has now become one of the largest philanthropic funders of AI safety.
Elizabeth Kelly
Elizabeth Kelly is the current director of the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI). Through her leadership position, she is responsible for coordinating with other AI policy and technical initiatives in the government.
Just a few weeks ago, AISI signed an agreement with tech companies Anthropic and OpenAI to advance their technical collaboration on AI safety research, testing, and evaluations.
The technology still poses a risk to national security and public safety, which is why it’s necessary to keep an eye on its advancements. By first ensuring safety, it then enables innovations that can offer transformational benefits to society.
Francesca Mani
Last year, 15-year-old Francesca Mani became the victim of deepfake nudes. She had learned that the boys in her New Jersey high school were creating sexually explicit images of their female classmates using AI software.
Since the incident, Mani has been busy addressing policymakers, school boards, and tech companies across the country. “When that happened to me and my classmates, we had zero protection whatsoever,” Mani told TIME.
These explicit AI-generated images and videos have been becoming more widespread in recent years, starting from fake reproductions of celebrities and now even children.
“My goal is to protect women and children—and we first need to start with AI school policies, because this is where most of the targeting is happening,” she added.
Becky Pringle
Also in the realm of academic institutions, teachers have been grappling with the rise of artificial intelligence. While tools such as ChatGPT can aid in the students’ learning, it has also helped facilitate cheating, threatening the development of critical thinking skills.
Becky Pringle, a longtime public school teacher and president of the National Education Association, has been keeping an eye on these programs.
Along with her task force, Pringle has released a road map detailing how they can possibly use the technology to enhance the educational experience. “It is crucial that we harness AI for the good of our schools and our students,” she posted on X.
Banner image via Good Ventures’ website and X @CongressmanKean @BeckyPringle.
