Good day, everyone. I am Rana currently pursuing a phd in machine learning for the UN sustainable Goals in University of Nottingham Malaysia.Today, I want to share with you my journey as a woman of color in the field of machine learning while raising two daughters and using my knowledge to make the world a better place. Machine learning is a young industry welcoming, inclusive, focused on open source, which builds a powerful community. And machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn gradually improving its accuracy.

I strongly believe that artificial intelligence can play a significant role in achieving a cleaner greener and more sustainable living. And I'm an advocate for encouraging more women to enter the field, bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to the table. In today's lightning speech, I want to discuss the opportunities and challenges uh car to us in machine learning poses for women and why women need to be a part of this growing industry. This is an exciting and groundbreaking field and women can contribute to the democratization and accessibility of artificial intelligence and machine learning worldwide. However, we, as we all know, the reality is that women remain severely underrepresented in this field. Shockingly, only 20% of A I professionals are women and even fewer are women of color. This is an issue that needs to be addressed head on. And I'm doing my part to advocate for change. One of the main challenges is um that women face in machine learning is underrepresentation. This lack of diversity can have a negative impact on both the industry and the women themselves. Women can encounter bias in hiring promotions and pay and may also face harassment and or microaggressions in the workplace. This can create a hostile work environment and limit opportunities for a woman to uh to have a voice in shaping the direction and culture of the organization.

A lack of diverse perspectives at the top can lead to a narrow focus on certain types of problems or solutions which can limit innovation and creativity. More importantly, machine learning is being significantly improved to assist humans in many job sectors. Having a woman in machine learning that is going to be used so broadly in industry and daily lives is important as women will give their opinion and perspective while developing such integral a applications. Likewise, having a woman's perspective, while developing machine learning or A I applications will be useful in the field of representation and how the application is catered to all genders. Despite these challenges, women have many advantages to offer when pursuing careers in machine learning.

For example, women often excel in communication and collaboration, which are essential skills in any technical field. They bring a unique person perspective to problem solving and decision making, which can lead to more creative and innovative solutions. Moreover, women's emotional intelligence can be a significant benefit to machine learning in several ways. For instance, women often bring empathy and their emotion uh uh woman and and sensitivity to their work, helping them better understand the needs of uh of all sorts of women and gender.

Machine learning is a very solid carrier choice, irrespective of this gender. However, women need to understand that it is actually a very good career choice for them. As you can already see, machine learning is being implemented in everything around us and pursuing it as a carrier means, you get to be a part of the evolution to drive change and improve people's lives. By pursuing machine learning, you get to help develop the air systems of the future and be and be an ambassador to all women's perspectives in the field. As much as a big part of machine learning revolves around problem solving skills like creativity and art still play an important role in designing and developing A I systems. These are all skills that women excel at. There are many initiatives and programs aimed at supporting women in machine learning, helping them to overcome some of the challenges they may face. These include mentorship programs, professional networks and training and development opportunities through networking and participating in such programs.

Women can gain the the skills support and connections. They need to succeed in the field. But serving as role models and offering guidance, we can help to inspire and empower more women to pursue careers in machine learning and other technical fields. By having more women in the in machine learning field, we get to have our voice, art and our ideals integrated into the future A I system. So those systems learn to behave intelligently and make decisions with all genders in math. As we work to create a more inclusive and equitable future. For all, it's crucial that we recognize the unique challenges that women face in the tech industry. The statistics show that we have a long way to go in terms of representation and we need to take a concrete step to, to address the barriers and prevent women from entering and as succeeding in this field. As a mother of two daughters, I'm also passionate about empowering women and girls to pursue careers in technology. Women's perspectives are crucial to a technological advancement and we need more women in positions of influence in the field. Finally, it is important to continue advocating for policies and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in tech. This includes everything from funding programs that support women and underrepresented minorities, intent to developing new tools and strategies to address bias and discrimination in machine learning.

In conclusion, as a woman of color pursuing a career in machine learning, I believe that we have an incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. By bringing our unique perspectives and experiences to the table. We can help to create more innovative, effective and socially responsible machine learning systems, but we cannot do it alone. We need the support of our colleagues, our communities and our institutions to make the progress and overcome the barriers and stand that stand in our way.

Let's work together to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all women in tech. Thank you so much for listening.