The AI GIRLS program, created by IGT, a global leader in the regulated gaming sector, and Codemotion, the largest tech community in Europe, with the aim of reducing the gender gap in the STEAM subjects sector (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics), has successfully closed its first edition. AI GIRLS saw the participation of 314 female students, from 25 secondary schools in 12 Italian regionswho contributed to the realization of 161 final projects and developed 701 software in 300 hours of work, combining live workshops and on-demand content. Among the regions that stood out for the high level of participation and commitment were Puglia, Lombardy, Lazio and Calabria. The students participated in “project based” activities, Javascript programming fundamentals, with coding challenges of increasing difficulty up to the creation of software prototypes; the use of AI techniques and platforms for content generation; the creation of Computer Vision (Machine Learning) models capable of classifying people, objects, places, sounds and body positions; the training of an AI-based Virtual Assistant to help people (creating a “personal ChatGPT”).
The activity led to the creation complete with 161 final projects carried out individually or in groups, such as the creation of a “virtual assistant” to help young people recognize and mitigate biases or interactive books for children on inclusiveness and solidarity and Apps for the visually impaired and colorblind to recognize colors. But not only that, during the exercises 701 software projects were created and more than 240 images created with Artificial Intelligence, 150 Machine Learning models trained, 146 Datasets from reliable sources and 94 advanced uses of Creative Commons licenses.
“It was very stimulating to design this project for young female students together with Codemotion” comment Enrica Ronchini, External Relations Manager of IGT. “The participation in the initiative exceeded all our rosiest expectations, going beyond the threshold we had set ourselves: but above all it was the quality of project development that surprises us together with the commitment to challenges and goals achieved. With this project we at IGT want to contribute to Fighting the gender gap in STEAM subjects and building more inclusive communities for new generations
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The perception of the role of women in the STEAM world is finally starting to change
” comment Chiara Russo, Co-founder and Executive President of Codemotion. “Thanks to the experience gained over the years, we have seen the interest and determination of the students we have addressed grow. What once seemed impossible and unthinkable is becoming true, also thanks to the commitment of communities like ours and the increasingly valuable support of enlightened companies like IGT. This highly valuable journey makes it even more evident that Promote more equitable access to career opportunities in the generative AI sector must be the commitment of an ever-wider qualified and qualifying training offer“.
According to the released note the second edition is already in preparation with the aim of involving an even greater number of students and schools in activities based on the “Creative Learning” method, developed by Mitchel Resnick of MIT in Boston, based on Seymour Papert’s constructivist learning theoryaccording to which everyone learns better if committed to creating projects that are close to their heart, collaborating with others in a fluid and experimental climate.
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