A predominance of men in AI policy roles has sparked concerns of a ‘tech bro takeover’, according to Professor Dame Wendy Hall.
- Almost all senior AI policymaking roles in the UK have been filled by men over the past year.
- The disbandment of the AI Council marked a significant shift in gender representation in AI governance.
- Professor Hall expressed concerns over the exclusion of academics and diverse voices at AI summits.
- Labour Party officials vowed to adopt a more inclusive approach to AI governance.
In the past year, almost all senior roles in AI policymaking have been occupied by men, raising concerns about a gender imbalance in the sector. Professor Dame Wendy Hall, the former chair of the Ada Lovelace Institute, described this as a ‘tech bro takeover’.
Professor Hall, who had also served as the UK’s AI Skills Champion, highlighted her concerns following the disbandment of the government’s AI Council last year. The Council once comprised 19 members, including 9 women, but its closure led to a noticeable male dominance in subsequent AI governance structures.
Speaking at the Oxford Generative AI Summit, Professor Hall criticised the government’s AI safety summit, held at Bletchley Park last November, for its exclusive nature. She pointed out that the event heavily favoured business executives over women and academics, suggesting a broader issue of exclusion in shaping AI policy.
According to Hall, the lack of academic inclusion is particularly troubling given their significant contributions towards advancing AI technology, which is at least two decades away from being fully commercialised. She argued for a more balanced representation involving varied societal groups in AI discussions.
At a technology panel during the 2024 Labour Party Conference, Exeter MP Steve Race labelled the AI Safety Summit as a ‘damp squib’ with no substantial outcomes. Race emphasised that despite the UK’s potential to lead global AI policy discussions due to its strong regulatory history, the summit lacked meaningful follow-through.
Meanwhile, Casey Calista, chair of Labour Digital, critiqued the Conservative government’s approach to AI regulation, pointing out their failure to engage civil society as a crucial mistake. Calista assured that the Labour government intends to integrate diverse voices as part of their ‘whole of society approach’ to AI governance.
The current gender imbalance in AI policymaking raises concerns about the exclusion of diverse voices, needing reform for balanced discussions involving all societal sectors.
