AIGrrls Mix and Muse on the Future
By Davar Ardalan and Nikki McLay

Civic tech leaders, entrepreneurs, designers, and computer scientists from various backgrounds gathered at the Tabard Inn in Washington DC on Tuesday night to share stories about their journeys into artificial intelligence (AI). Emerging themes centered on building a truly diverse community of AI practitioners who commit to responding to the needs of humanity by being more empathetic and deeply inclusive. Culturally-inclusive artificially intelligent systems pave the way for a smarter and healthier future for all people.

Inaugural AIGrrls convening included an intergenerational mix of minds such as Paula Davis, head of AI and Analytics at Deloitte; Latoya Peterson, cofounder of Glow Up Games; Roxanne Heston of Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology; Kee Malesky of IVOW AI; Traci McPherson from PinkLion.ai; and cognitive computer scientists Jana Kosecka and Amarda Shehu of George Mason University. 

A series of lightning talks revealed that many of the thought-leaders and experts in the room entered the field by way of a creative or artistic background. This underscores the reality that we will not be able to solve our toughest global problems without more diverse skills and talents. So as we discussed the concepts of applying AI across our work, it was apparent that a healthy future for artificial intelligence is dependent not only on a wide range of scientific and technological disciplines, but also on the collective human experiences that shape us along the way. 

AIGrrls is a networking initiative created by former NPR journalist Davar Ardalan, founder of IVOW AI, and AI-by-design leader Nina Bianchi. To get involved -- join us on LinkedIn (@AIGrrls Group) or DM us on Twitter @AIGrrls.

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NASA's International #spaceapps challenge kicks off this weekend. So proud this year, as our Founder, Davar Ardalan, is a Space Apps Ambassador supporting the global team and producing a data story on #SpaceApps engagement. You can join virtually or find a location near you and join in person here. 

Since its inception in 2012, NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge has become the world’s largest global hackathon, engaging thousands of citizens across the globe to use NASA’s open data to build innovative solutions to challenges we face on Earth and in space.Space Apps inspires local communities to come together, think intensely, and create solutions to important problems.

​Each year, Space Apps engages thousands of individuals in cities around the world to work with NASA’s open source data in a 48-hour sprint. Teams of technologists, scientists, designers, entrepreneurs, artists, and others collaborate to answer some of the most pressing challenges on Earth and in space.