The Nordic embassies in Brussels organized an interesting panel discussion on March 10th in celebration of International Women's Day. This year's topic was hidden gender bias in artificial intelligence, and among the keynote speakers was Linda Heimisdóttir, CEO of Miðeind.

The event was held as a breakfast meeting, with around 100 guests in attendance to listen to the discussions. The Ambassadors of Iceland and Denmark, Kristján Andri Stefánsson and Susanne Shine, co-hosted the event and delivered opening remarks.

In addition to Linda, the panel included Linda Liukas, children's book author and education specialist from Finland, Marija Slavkovik, professor of AI ethics from Norway, and Maja Fjaestad, professor and former state secretary from Sweden. Christoffer Frendesen from Denmark moderated the discussions.

The main conclusions of the panel included:

• AI systems reflect societal biases, including gender bias, and can inadvertently reinforce such biases – but we have the tools to drive change.

• To ensure fairness and that AI delivers benefits for all, diverse voices and perspectives from various fields, from education to policy-making, are needed.

• Diverse AI systems in terms of languages and cultures is equally important. Supporting smaller languages like Icelandic helps create fairer technology.

• The ethical development of AI is not just a technical task; it is a societal responsibility.

Miðeind has been a vocal advocate for the cause of the Icelandic language. During the panel discussion, Linda emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI solutions for smaller languages like Icelandic receive sufficient funding and support, as such solutions are necessary to ensure equal access to technology for all.

One of the main conclusions of the discussions was that there is no quick fix for equality issues as the solution involves breaking down the patriarchal structure of society that still dominates in many sectors, including the tech sector. An unbiased society is the best path to unbiased AI.

The event served as a reminder of the importance of continuing such discussions and working towards a future of AI that serves everyone – in a fair and equal manner.