a team of data scientists build algorithms using artificial intelligence to sort and dissect data and patterns among online shoppers. Yet the startup faces an unusual diversity problem for Silicon Valley: It can’t seem to hire enough men.
Still, ThirdLove is an anomaly in the technology industry, where women’s employment has steadily declined since 1991, after it peaked at 36%, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology. And when it comes to data science and artificial intelligence employment, ThirdLove is even more unusual. Men make up 88% of all AI workers and 80% of all AI professors.
Diverse views in AI and in data science is vital going forward, says Sarah Aerni, Salesforce’s director of data science who has championed diversity in data science. It’s a scientific job, but it also involves interpreting information through your own personal lens. “The way I interpret and investigate data and models is different from another data scientist. If I want fuller exploration and understanding, I need diverse perspectives.