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Girls in AI: Marissa Hummon thinks AI will assist make the ability grid greener


As part of TechCrunch’s ongoing Girls in AI sequence, which seeks to present AI-focused ladies teachers and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time within the highlight, TechCrunch interviewed Marissa Hummon, the chief know-how officer on the power firm Utilidata, the place she is working to make the electrical grid extra sustainable. 

“The work that I’m doing at Utilidata is pushing in opposition to the established order of the utility business,” Hummon informed TechCrunch, including that AI is poised to assist the utility sector function extra successfully. “It is going to give utilities the instruments they should function a clear, trendy, and dependable grid that can higher serve the folks and companies linked to it.” 

Hummon began her profession on the Nationwide Renewable Vitality Lab, the place she targeted on find out how to transfer the power business away from carbon-intensive options to extra clear sources. She recalled having to take a brand new modeling strategy as a result of sure physics equations had been “unsolvable utilizing conventional analytic strategies.”

“As an alternative we wanted to make use of numerical strategies and machine studying,” she mentioned. This was again in 2010. 

Recommendation to ladies 

Hummon moved her means up, working on the power firm Tendril earlier than touchdown the CTO function at Utilidata, a place she’s held since 2018. She acquired a PhD in utilized physics from Harvard and mentioned that as she made the transition from grad college into the engineering area, she seen a major drop within the variety of ladies working within the area. “I’ve typically felt the strain of being held to the next customary within the office in comparison with my male friends,” she mentioned. 

Hummon mentioned now as a frontrunner she tries to guide by instance and create alternatives for ladies to guide and be acknowledged. On the identical time, males must be chargeable for creating house for extra ladies to enter and keep within the area, she mentioned. 

“The change we want is not only in follow; it have to be systemic and widespread,” she continued. “It begins with recruiting and hiring, continues with mentoring and training, and culminates with truthful and equitable recognition and promotion — all whereas making a secure and inclusive office.”  

Her recommendation to ladies getting into the AI area is to at all times do not forget that being a girl might be a bonus. “It’s given you a perspective that’s totally different out of your male friends and breakthroughs in know-how at all times come from distinctive views.” 

She says to hunt alternatives with firms which have proven their dedication to variety and which have leaders who’ve showcased their efforts to help ladies and minorities. “Decide a possible employer by the best way they present up within the interview course of, not by the statements or the experiences they placed on their web site.” 

Constructing moral AI 

Hummon mentioned that customers ought to know that AI just isn’t one thing that may clear up all issues however somewhat is an knowledgeable assistant to reinforce operations, enhance effectiveness, and assist help. 

“Recognizing its limitations and guaranteeing there are correct checkpoints is vital,” she mentioned.  

She mentioned it’s at all times necessary to know how generative AI was skilled and constructed with the intention to perceive any potential biases it may have. “This data is a robust software when working with language fashions for information evaluation and evaluating the feasibility of options,” she continued. “AI is simply pretty much as good as the info and data it was skilled on.” 

She additionally gave some tips about find out how to construct secure AI, explaining that Utilidata made an early choice to maintain all of its information native. “Approaching mannequin constructing utilizing distributed AI computing reduces the quantity and frequency of knowledge being transmitted to the cloud and subsequently reduces the possibilities of a safety or privateness breach.” 

As for buyers, she mentioned — like the entire specialists we spoke to — they should consider how an organization needs to make use of AI, particularly since accountable AI appears totally different in each business. “The funding in accountable AI ought to be commensurate with the danger and complexity of any given firm, not an across-the-board customary.” 

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