In the interview, Solaiman discusses her nonlinear career path into AI, her proudest achievements in the field, and how she navigates the challenges of the male-dominated tech industry. She also offers advice to women seeking to enter the AI field, discusses the most pressing issues facing AI as it evolves, and highlights some issues AI users should be aware of. Solaiman emphasizes the importance of international coordination for safer systems, the need for users to increase their AI literacy, and the importance of responsibly building AI with the people affected and constantly re-evaluating safety techniques. She also discusses how investors can better push for responsible AI.
Key takeaways:
- Irene Solaiman, who started her career in AI as a researcher and public policy manager at OpenAI, is now the head of global policy at Hugging Face, where she leads company AI policy globally and conducts socio-technical research.
- Solaiman is most proud of her work on release considerations in the complex landscape of AI system releases and openness, and her work on cultural value alignment, which ensures that systems work best for the cultures in which they’re deployed.
- She advises women seeking to enter the AI field to have a support group and to focus on developing a particular set of skills.
- According to Solaiman, the most pressing issue facing AI is the need for international coordination for safer systems for all peoples, and she believes that the best way to responsibly build AI is with the peoples affected and by constantly re-evaluating methods for assessing and implementing safety techniques.