The Partnership on AI (PAI) Mission

The Partnership on AI (PAI) Mission Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society, and published on November 21, 2018. Go to the Partnership on AI (PAI)s page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.On Wednesday, November 14th, the Partnership on AI held its 2nd annual All Partners Meeting in San Francisco, California. Representatives from ur 80+ member organizations for-profit companies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and advocacy groups traveled from across the globe to reflect on 2018 progress, and to plan for the future. It welches a day of insight, collaboration, and new perspectives.The day kicked off with a welcome from PAI leadership, with reflections on how PAI has evolved over the past year while also previewing 2019 plans.Attendees heard from members of our Board, new members of our Senior Staff, our Working Group Co-Chairs, new Partners, and external experts, each sharin g insights from the past year, with topics ranging from the challenges of designing a global multi-stakeholder organization to designing and incentivizing equitable growth models to ensure that AI technology is built by and reflective of a diverse constituency, and that its benefits are broadly shared.On Thursday, November 15th, the Partnerships Working Groups convened in San Francisco. Working Group members shared progress, addressed challenges, and platzset forthcoming work priorities around specific issues. We look forward to sharing concrete work outputs as they emerge in 2019.Thursday also saw the launch of two new Working Groups Collaborations Between People and AI Systems, which will aim to research the ways in which we can ensure that the development of AI is used as a tool to effectively assist humans and Social and Societal Influences of AI, which will focus in the immediate-term on issues associated with AI and the media, including synthetic media. The Working Group chart ers will be posted on the Partnerships website when they are finalized, with more updates coming soon.The ongoing enthusiasm and commitment of our Partners is testament to the growing number of unanswered questions around AI and its impacts, and our communitys shared sense of urgency in finding answers to these questions. We look forward to building on our ongoing efforts as we head into 2019. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industri al electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.