
Women, Work, and Winning: Creating Your Ideal Life – ep.148
October 3, 2024
Securing Our Future: Pathways to Affordable Housing And Stability – ep.150
October 24, 2024
Women, Work, and Winning: Creating Your Ideal Life – ep.148
October 3, 2024
Securing Our Future: Pathways to Affordable Housing And Stability – ep.150
October 24, 2024In this episode, I explore the benefits of integrating digital technologies with DEI practices and how this can help reshape workforce operations.
Melyssa Barrett: Welcome to the Jali Podcast. I’m your host, Melyssa Barrett. This podcast is for those who are interested in the conversation around equity, diversity, and inclusion. Each week I’ll be interviewing a guest who has something special to share or is actively part of building solutions in the space. Let’s get started. Welcome to the Jali Podcast, where we explore innovative ways to uplift communities, foster inclusion, and empower individuals. I’m your host, Melyssa Barrett, and today’s episode is inspired by an insightful article from Forbes titled 20 Ways Technology Can Further Diversity and Inclusion Efforts. And it was by the Forbes Technology Council. But I wanted to take a closer look at how technology can drive diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across industries. And then I’ll share some of my own thoughts on the subject. I recently did a panel presentation on intelligent infrastructure in Las Vegas, and it got me thinking about public-private people, partnerships, and how we have to engage community and ensure that we are not only aware of who we are including, but who we are not including.
And we should make every effort to ensure that we are as inclusive as we possibly can be. So one of the things that the article talked about is how we can utilize technology to break down language barriers. And one of the key ways that technology enhances diversity, equity, and inclusion is by breaking down language barriers through AI driven translation tools. And these tools enable people from diverse linguistic backgrounds to communicate effortlessly fostering inclusivity in global teams, educational settings, and healthcare. This is crucial in today’s interconnected world where collaboration happens across borders and cultures. I remember being in a room when my mother was in the hospital and they brought tablets in and they had translators from all over the world that they could access in the event somebody came in and they could not communicate with them. An additional example might be within nonprofit organizations or even public private people partnerships where Norm Anderson’s book that talks about vision, our strategic infrastructure roadmap forward is the title of the book.
He talks a lot about tools that allow for deeper community engagement and participation regardless of linguistic differences. Another way that you might utilize technology for diversity, equity, and inclusion is really in connecting a global workforce, allowing organizations to tap into a more diverse workforce, remote work tools and virtual collaboration platforms. They create opportunities for cultural exchange, diverse perspectives, and inclusive work environments. As someone who works in diversity, equity, and inclusion, I have seen firsthand how having diverse voices in the room leads to innovative solutions, particularly when addressing community needs or building resilient economies. Something I am extremely passionate about through my work with the Data Institute and other nonprofit organizations that I support. In addition, we look at the importance of curating larger, more representative data sets and in the age of artificial intelligence, the importance of data in diversity, equity, and inclusion cannot be overstated. In healthcare, for example, diverse data sets help ensure that the treatment options are inclusive and representative of varied patient populations. This concept really extends beyond healthcare, obviously, into community services, education and beyond. At the Data Institute, we emphasize creating inclusive data sets for equitable outcomes, ensuring our research and policies address the needs of underrepresented groups.
Any city who is looking for opportunities for creating strategies around their economic development should ensure that they are looking past the technology and focusing on the people. Technology also allows us to enable inclusive recruitment practices, and AI can be utilized in recruitment, obviously allowing organizations to remove unconscious biases from hiring processes. And this ensures that decisions are made based on skills, not superficial factors like a person’s name or outdated job titles. The integration of AI and recruitment does allow for a more inclusive pool of candidates, including those who may not have had access to opportunities in traditional hiring settings. But remember, I warned you before, if your data sets are not inclusive, it can in fact exacerbate any biases you already have in your data. So you need to be aware of what your data set looks like when you are utilizing this technology or these data sets in recruitment practices and otherwise.
Additionally, when we think about simulating sensory experiences, we can foster empathy, right? So when you think about mixed reality, it can really help individuals understand what it’s like maybe to be visually impaired. This can be used a lot in law enforcement, for example, or other industries. These kinds of tools are invaluable for creating empathy, which is the cornerstone of any DEI effort. So whether you’re working in tech, education or community service, understanding diverse experiences builds stronger, more inclusive teams. As a podcast host and community advocate, I’ve seen how technology can either be a barrier or a bridge to inclusion. What’s exciting is that the rapid advancement of AI and other tech tools offer solutions that were really unimaginable even a decade ago. Unless like me, you really loved the Jetsons way back when. However, as several contributors to the Forbes article point out, we need to be cautious of the potential biases in AI systems. Technologies must be built on diverse data sets and designed with inclusion in mind, not an afterthought. And I’ll also add that while technology is a powerful enabler, it’s not a replacement for human efforts. DEI is inherently a people first endeavor, and technology is one of the many tools in the toolbox. As we use AI to expand opportunities, we must continue having conversations, doing the work on the ground, and ensuring our communities are being served equitably.
I figured I might just chat a little bit about the digital divide and economic empowerment because I think one of the most pressing challenges in achieving true digital equality is the digital divide, where underserved communities lack access to technology, high speed internet and digital literacy. The Data Institute is working on initiatives around the country that are aimed at providing equitable access to technology. And those initiatives may include computers, devices, internet access, workforce development, training, all of those things because it is critical for economic empowerment, especially in marginalized communities. Digital tools open up new job opportunities, remote work options, entrepreneurial ventures, and it really allows individuals to participate fully in the modern economy. We also need to leverage technology for financial empowerment. Many of you know I support and sit on the board for balance, and we are focused on financial literacy, financial coaching, smart money coaching, and I just think there are digital platforms and tools that can transform access to financial services.
I worked in payment technology for 30 years, worked in retail banking, and from FinTech applications to blockchain. Technology is increasingly making financial products more accessible to marginalized groups, certainly mobile banking, AI powered financial coaching, even cryptocurrency are enabling financial inclusion and helping historically underbanked populations build wealth. In addition, the importance of representation in the tech industry is paramount. Many women and people of color face systemic barriers when entering STEM fields. I work with organizations like Delta Sigma Theta Sorority incorporated, the links incorporated and just emphasizing the importance of mentorship, scholarships, inclusive policies that support these underrepresented groups in tech, education and careers. And shout out to Self-Esteem, Adama Alo. I am telling you, she is doing tremendous work in the Oakland area, and I’m just so excited to see self-esteem thrive as the nonprofit organization that it is serving so many young girls in the community.
It’s just amazing. So I’m just so excited to see all of the attention and progress being made. Let’s think about the role of digital tools in civic engagement and how technology is amplifying voices in advocacy and social justice work. I work with the N-A-A-C-P as well, and digital platforms give marginalized communities access to tools that can really raise awareness of issues, mobilize collective action, and hold institutions accountable. So for example, we talk about AI and big data. It can be leveraged to track and expose inequities in housing, education, criminal justice, and in driving systemic change.
And lastly, I’ll just hit on the fact that the role of AI in workforce development and education. When we think about workforce training, particularly for marginalized groups, AI powered educational platforms can create personalized learning experiences, but allows people to adapt to different learning styles and helping people gain the skills they need to compete in today’s job market. So as someone who is involved in shaping smart city initiatives, I can personally speak to our focus on upskilling workers and providing that remote education, but we have to make educational opportunities more accessible across the United States. When we focus on digital equality, it not only fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, but it transforms lives by providing access to economic, educational, and social opportunities for all. Thank you for joining me today on the Jolly Podcast on how technology can further diversity and inclusion efforts. I want to give credit to the members of the Forbes Technology Council for their insightful contributions. As always, remember that fostering inclusivity is an ongoing process and every small step counts. Stay tuned for more conversations that inspire and empower, and I will continue to talk about the role of ai. And until next time, I’m Melissa Barrett and this is the Jolly Podcast.
Thanks for joining me on the Jali Podcast. Please subscribe so you won’t miss an episode. See you next week.
.