“Artificial Intelligence does not invent biases, it inherits them”

Artificial Intelligence is changing the world of work, education and social relations, but it also risks amplifying the inequalities already present in society. For Darya Majidi, President of UN Women Italy, entrepreneur, computer scientist and one of the leading Italian experts in AI, the point is not to stop innovation, but to make it more inclusive. Founder and CEO of Daxo Group, creator of AixAll and AixGirls and committed to promoting female empowerment for years, Majidi argues that technology can become a tool for emancipation only if designed from different perspectives. We interviewed her to talk about Artificial Intelligence, gender gap, school, work and the role that women and men can play in building a fairer future.

Interview with Darya Majidi, president of UN Women Italy, entrepreneur, computer scientist and AI expert

I am President of UN Women Italy and an entrepreneur in the field of digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence. I am a Computer Scientist and I have been involved in digital transformation for over thirty years, but the red thread of my journey has always beenfemale empowerment: helping women, and in particular the youngest, to become protagonists of change, not just spectators. I have written two books on the subject, Women 4.0 and Digital Sisterhood, and I have activated national and international public-private ecosystems to transform this vision into concrete projects. Also thanks to my Iranian origins, I am particularly sensitive to the issue of access to technologies as a lever of freedom: today we see how digital technology is offering many Iranian girls and women real tools for empowerment, voice and connection with the world.

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The problem is not that Artificial Intelligence is driven by the market, but to ask who drives the market and who makes the decisions. Today, the world of technology and innovation is predominantly male and AI therefore risks reflecting a partial worldview. This is why I am talking about an ethical and human-centered AI: if we want it to be truly at the service of humanity, we must guarantee a greater plurality of perspectives in its design and governance. Women can no longer delegate these choices. And this is also why, as UN Women Italy, we work to ensure that more and more girls and women enter the places where these technologies are designed and governed.

Both of those things. AI systems learn from historical data, and historical data reflects the society in which we live, with all its prejudices and imbalances. If for decades the top positions have been occupied mainly by men, an algorithm trained on that data concludes that the ideal candidate for a leadership role is a man. Not because it's true, but because it's what he finds in the past. For this reason, it should be emphasized that AI does not invent biases: it inherits them, replicates them and amplifies them. A stereotype becomes a rule. The good news is that AI can also be part of the solution. If designed with a plurality of perspectives and with adequate controls, it can help us identify hidden discrimination in selection processes, salaries or career opportunities. This is why we need more women and more diversity in the places where these technologies are designed: not only for a matter of fairness, but because systems built from different points of view are more accurate, more reliable and closer to reality.

If I had to choose, I would say that today the main problem is the education system, which often does not let girls know the opportunities offered by these technologies and does not support them in developing a full awareness of their potential. For years with AixGirls we have been meeting brilliant, curious and prepared young people. And yet, during one of the lessons, we asked how many of them imagined a future in the technology sector: none raised their hands. This is why role models are so important. Girls need to see women who lead companies, develop Artificial Intelligence, do research and hold leadership roles.

My answer is that the family should also be included in the list, which unfortunately often unconsciously directs girls to paths that are no longer effective. School, politics and businesses are then the places where it is decided who will have access to opportunities and to the future. The real problem is that, although women graduate more than men and often with better results, this advantage does not yet translate into an equivalent presence in decision-making roles. The change does not come from a single action, but from the alliance between institutions, education system, businesses and civil society. Only in this way can we transform gender equality from a shared principle to a concrete reality.

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We are making a fundamental mistake: we continue to consider women's employment as an issue that concerns women, when in reality it is an issue that concerns the country's system. In Italy there is no shortage of female talent. Women study, graduate and achieve excellent results. What is missing is an ecosystem capable of transforming that talent into economic participation, leadership and entrepreneurship. UN Women Italy wants to be the point of reference for institutions and businesses in our country in the fight against gender discrimination. We believe that change must pass through three fundamental levers: technology as a tool for emancipation and opportunity, public policies to create conditions of real equality and the involvement of men as allies of change. Female employment will not grow when we ask women to adapt to the system, but when we build a fairer system together.

The message that we carry forward at UN Women Italy with the HeForShe movement is very clear: gender equality is not a female issue, it is a collective responsibility. This is why I often turn to fathers: urge your daughters with the same conviction with which you urge your children. Encourage them to dare, to study science and technology, to do business and to pursue their ambitions. Family imprinting has an enormous impact on building self-esteem and awareness of one's potential.

Digital channels are extraordinary and powerful tools of knowledge, relationship and emancipation, especially for women. But precisely in light of the power of such technologies, we cannot ignore their risks. Digital violence, hate speech and online harassment affect women and girls in a particular way and can limit their freedom of expression and participation. In recent years, progress has been made, I am thinking, for example, of the European Digital Services Act, which introduces greater responsibility for platforms. But there is still a long way to go. Technology companies must invest more in the prevention of abuse, in the transparency of algorithms and in the protection of the most vulnerable people.

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I notice it when diversity and inclusion ceases to be a communication issue and becomes a criterion with which business decisions are made. Who is being hired? Who is being promoted? Who holds the leadership roles? When a company is able to answer these questions with measurable and transparent results, then we are faced with a genuine commitment. Diversity and inclusion are not measured by slogans, but by the real impact on people.

If I could change just one thing, I would update school programs to be more aligned with the world that awaits us. Today, Artificial Intelligence, digital transformation and sustainability are profoundly changing society and work, but schools are still struggling to keep up. We must teach young people not only to use technologies, but to understand and govern them, developing critical thinking, creativity and adaptability. I would like a school that prepares the new generations to be protagonists of a change that must be technological, sustainable and inclusive. And in this change, girls must play a central role, not as spectators but as protagonists.