This is the first of a series of articles including questions and answers with ChatGPT initiated by Denise Silber. In this first article, ChatGPT provides its information (up to 2021) regarding the presence or not of women in leadership, in Tech, at OpenAI, and as CEO’s.
DS: Which people worked on creating ChatGPT?
ChatGPT: ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, a research organization founded in 2015 by a group of technology industry leaders, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman. The development of ChatGPT specifically involved a team of researchers and engineers at OpenAI, including Alec Radford, Jeffrey Wu, Rewon Child, David Luan, Dario Amodei, and Sam McCandlish. These individuals worked on developing the deep learning models, training data, and software infrastructure necessary to create ChatGPT.
DS: As of your most recent set of data, who are the decisionmakers at OpenAI?
ChatGPT: As of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, the decision makers at OpenAI were the following individuals:
- Sam Altman – CEO
- Greg Brockman – President and Chief Technology Officer
- Ilya Sutskever – Chief Scientist
- Amanda Askell – Director of Research
- David Luan – Director of Engineering
- Christine Kim – Director of People and Culture
- Jack Clark – Policy Director
It’s possible that there have been changes to the leadership team since then, but I don’t have access to that information beyond my cutoff date.
(Verified by Denise Silber: Amanda Askell left OpenAI in 2022.)
DS: In this list of people involved in creating or developing ChatGPT, there are no women. Women are 50% of humanity. What impact does this have on the representativity of the work done?
ChatGPT: You raise an important point about diversity and representation in the development of AI technologies like ChatGPT. The underrepresentation of women and other underrepresented groups in the field of AI and technology more broadly can have a number of negative consequences, including limiting the perspectives and experiences that inform the development of these technologies.
When teams lack diversity, there is a risk that biases and assumptions that are prevalent in the dominant culture may be inadvertently built into the technology. This can result in discriminatory or inequitable outcomes, such as AI systems that perpetuate gender, racial, or socioeconomic stereotypes. Additionally, the lack of diverse perspectives can limit the potential applications and impact of AI technologies, as well as limit the ability of these technologies to serve the needs and interests of all members of society.
Therefore, it’s important for teams developing AI technologies like ChatGPT to prioritize diversity and representation in their hiring and development practices. This can involve intentional efforts to recruit and retain individuals from diverse backgrounds, as well as ongoing efforts to address systemic biases and create an inclusive culture within the team. By prioritizing diversity and representation, AI developers can help to ensure that the technologies they create are more equitable, effective, and representative of the needs and interests of all members of society.
DS: We still see in tech, that women-led start-ups receive less than 2% of the funding, for example. What do you say to that?
ChatGPT: You are correct that there are systemic biases and barriers that limit the representation of women and other underrepresented groups in the tech industry, including in the development of AI technologies like ChatGPT. The underfunding of women-led startups is just one example of the challenges faced by women in the tech industry.
To address these challenges, it’s important for the tech industry to take intentional steps to promote diversity and inclusion, both in terms of the representation of women and other underrepresented groups, as well as in terms of the allocation of resources and opportunities. This can involve measures such as providing mentorship and support for women and other underrepresented groups in tech, implementing blind hiring practices to reduce the impact of implicit biases in the hiring process, and promoting diverse perspectives and experiences in the development and deployment of AI technologies.
Additionally, there is a need for systemic change to address the broader societal and cultural factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women and other underrepresented groups in tech. This can involve efforts to promote gender equality and equity in education, employment, and other spheres of life, as well as efforts to challenge and dismantle the systemic biases and barriers that limit the opportunities and experiences of women and other underrepresented groups.
Overall, addressing the underrepresentation of women and other underrepresented groups in the tech industry, including in the development of AI technologies like ChatGPT, requires a multifaceted and sustained effort that involves a range of stakeholders, including industry leaders, policymakers, and civil society organizations.
DS: How are we progressing in terms of women CEO’s of tech companies?
ChatGPT: The tech industry has historically been dominated by men, and women have been underrepresented in leadership positions, including as CEOs. However, there have been some recent positive developments regarding women CEOs in tech companies.
According to a study conducted by Silicon Valley Bank, a financial services company, the percentage of women CEOs in tech companies has been slowly increasing over the past few years. In 2019, women accounted for 12% of all CEO positions in the tech industry, up from 9% in 2014.
Some notable women CEOs in the tech industry include Ginni Rometty, who served as CEO of IBM from 2012 to 2020, Safra Catz, who has been CEO of Oracle since 2014, and Susan Wojcicki, who has been CEO of YouTube since 2014.
However, it’s worth noting that women are still significantly underrepresented in leadership positions in the tech industry, and there is much work to be done to achieve gender parity. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, women hold only 19% of senior leadership positions in the tech industry, and only 5% of CEO positions in the industry are held by women.
In conclusion, while there have been some positive developments regarding women CEOs in tech companies, there is still a long way to go to achieve gender parity in leadership positions in the tech industry.
DS: Can you look at the progress in naming women as CEO’s of the Fortune 500 and tell us how fast we have gone up until now?
ChatGPT: Yes, I can provide some information on the progress of women being named as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
According to data from Catalyst, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing women in the workplace, the number of female CEOs in the Fortune 500 has been slowly increasing over the past few decades. In 2000, there were only two women CEOs in the Fortune 500, while in 2021, there were 41 women CEOs, which represents a record high.
However, the percentage of female CEOs in the Fortune 500 is still relatively low, with women holding only 8.2% of the CEO positions. Additionally, the rate of progress has been slow, with an average increase of only 0.6% per year over the past decade. It’s worth noting that women of color are significantly underrepresented in top leadership roles in corporate America, including as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. As of 2021, there were only four women of color leading Fortune 500 companies. Overall, while progress has been made in increasing the number of women CEOs in the Fortune 500, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity in top leadership positions in corporate America.
DS: Do you have data on the status of women CEO’s outside of the US?
ChatGPT: Yes, there is data available on the status of women CEOs outside of the United States.
According to a report by Grant Thornton, a global professional services network, the percentage of women CEOs in senior management roles in businesses worldwide was 29% in 2021, up from 24% in 2019. However, the percentage of women CEOs varies widely by region.
In Asia-Pacific, the percentage of women CEOs was 25% in 2021, up from 21% in 2019. In Europe, the percentage of women CEOs was 30% in 2021, up from 28% in 2019. In Latin America, the percentage of women CEOs was 22% in 2021, up from 19% in 2019. In North America, the percentage of women CEOs was 29% in 2021, up from 23% in 2019.
It’s worth noting that while there has been progress in increasing the percentage of women CEOs worldwide, women are still significantly underrepresented in leadership positions. Additionally, the representation of women in leadership roles varies widely by industry and company size.
In conclusion, while progress has been made in increasing the representation of women CEOs globally, there is still a long way to go to achieve gender parity in top leadership positions in businesses worldwide.
DS: What information do you have about the position of women CEO’s in France?
ChatGPT: In France, women are still underrepresented in CEO positions, although there have been some recent positive developments.
According to a study by Ethics & Boards, a governance consulting firm, women held only 8.4% of CEO positions in companies listed on the French SBF 120 index as of January 2021. However, this represented an increase from 7.2% in 2020.
Some notable women CEOs in France include Isabelle Kocher, who served as CEO of Engie from 2016 to 2020, and Sophie Bellon, who has been Chairwoman of Sodexo since 2017.
Additionally, in 2011, France introduced a gender quota law requiring companies with more than 500 employees to have at least 40% of women on their boards of directors by 2017. This law has been effective in increasing the representation of women on boards of directors in France, with women now holding 44% of board positions in CAC 40 companies.
However, the law does not apply to CEO positions, and progress in increasing the representation of women CEOs in France has been slower. Nonetheless, there are ongoing efforts to promote gender diversity in leadership positions in France, including initiatives by the French government and business organizations.
In conclusion, while women are still underrepresented in CEO positions in France, there have been some positive developments, and there are ongoing efforts to promote gender diversity in leadership positions.