The Future is Biased: Christina Blacklaws gives inspiring TEDx talk

Exeter College alumna Christina Blacklaws (1985, Jurisprudence) gave an inspiring TEDx talk earlier this year, which is now available to view online. The talk, The Future is Biased, explores gender bias in society and in particular considers the significant risk that it may become more so as we depend more and more on artificial intelligence and computer algorithms.

Christina Blacklaws served as president of the Law Society in 2018-19, is chair of the Law Tech Delivery Panel, and is a member of the Thomson Reuters Women in Leadership in Law advisory panel. During her presidency of the Law Society she investigated gender bias and discrimination in law around the world. She found that women worldwide experience similar challenges and prejudices. Pay gaps between men and women are still considerable, despite legislation to prevent it, and although more women work in law than men, the large majority of leadership roles are still held by men.

However Christina’s even greater concern is that inequality could become further entrenched as we rely more on technology and artificial intelligence. She wants to embrace new technology, but to consider carefully how it is used so that we don’t sleepwalk into an even more biased future.

You can watch The Future is Biased below or by following this link.