Roving for a Better World Speaker: Ayanna Howard (Georgia Institute of Technology) At 27, Dr. Ayanna Howard was hired by NASA to lead a team designing a robot for future Mars exploration missions that could "think like a human and adapt to change." Her accomplishments since then include being named as one of 2015's most powerful women engineers in the world and as one of Forbes' 2018 U.S. Top 50 Women in Tech. From creating robots to studying the impact of global warming on the Antarctic ice shelves to founding a company that develops STEM education and therapy products for children and those with varying needs, Professor Howard focuses on our role in being responsible global citizens. In this talk, Professor Howard will delve into the implications of recent advances in robotics and AI and explain the critical importance of ensuring diversity and inclusion at all stages to reduce the risk of unconscious bias and ensuring robots are designed to be accessible to all. Throughout the talk, Professor Howard will weave in her own experience on developing new AI technologies through her technical leadership roles at NASA, Georgia Tech, and in technology startups. |