Women in AI: Indian Researcher Urvashi Aneja Examines Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Country

As part of our ongoing series highlighting the contributions of women in AI, we’re honored to feature Urvashi Aneja, the founding director of Digital Futures Lab. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology and society in the Global South, with a particular emphasis on algorithmic decision-making systems in India.

Table of Contents

A Brief Background

Urvashi Aneja’s journey into AI began in research and policy engagement within the humanitarian sector. She studied the use of digital technologies in protracted crises in low-resource contexts, which made her realize the fine line between innovation and experimentation when dealing with vulnerable populations. This experience deepened her concerns about techno-solutionist narratives around AI and its potential to exacerbate socio-economic problems.

A Conversation with Urvashi Aneja

We had the opportunity to sit down with Urvashi Aneja and discuss her insights on building responsible AI, investors’ roles in promoting ethical AI practices, and more. Here’s a summary of our conversation:

Building Responsible AI

When asked about the best way to responsibly build AI, Aneja emphasized that it starts with assessing the need for AI in the first place. She suggests that we should question whether there is a problem that AI can uniquely solve or if other means are possible. Furthermore, she advocates for re-centering domain knowledge into the building of AI, stating that theory should not be sacrificed at the altar of big data.

Investors’ Role in Promoting Ethical AI Practices

Aneja believes that investors play a crucial role in pushing for responsible AI by considering the entire life cycle of AI production. She encourages them to look beyond just the outputs or outcomes of AI applications and consider issues such as labor fairness, environmental impacts, business models (e.g., commercial surveillance), and internal accountability measures within companies.

Insights on AI Development

Aneja shares her insights on AI development, highlighting the importance of participation, inclusive teams, labor rights, and domain knowledge. She also cautions against attempts to shift responsibility downstream onto users, particularly in low-resource contexts where experimental technologies are being introduced.

Conclusion

Urvashi Aneja’s work is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the complexities of AI. Her emphasis on re-centering domain knowledge and promoting inclusive decision-making processes offers valuable lessons for anyone involved in AI development or research.

As we continue our series highlighting women in AI, we hope that Urvashi Aneja’s story inspires others to join this critical conversation about building a more responsible and equitable AI future.

About the Author

Kyle Wiggers is a senior reporter at TechCrunch with a special interest in artificial intelligence. His writing has appeared in VentureBeat and Digital Trends, as well as various gadget blogs.