Applications Now Open to Undergraduate Students Seeking Careers in Artificial Intelligence
AI4ALL, a national nonprofit that is transforming the pipeline of AI practitioners and creating a more inclusive, human-centered discipline, announced it will launch a new accelerator program at the start of 2024 called AI4ALL Ignite. The program and related engagement opportunities are centered around the unique experiences and needs of Black, Latinx, Indigenous (BLI), women and non-binary undergraduate students working toward a career in the fields of AI and machine learning. Applications to enroll are now open.
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“AI4ALL Ignite was born out of the experience we’ve gained over the last six years working to make professional roles in AI more accessible to students who don’t see themselves represented in the greater tech community,” said Sean Peters, VP of Programs and Operations at AI4ALL. “We are consistently implementing insights received from higher education partners as well as corporate sponsors regarding the ever-evolving skills necessary for a career in AI. Our new program allows students to gain experience and build portfolio material that can best position them for success upon entering the workforce and further, help create a more diverse and equitable workforce in AI in the years to come.”
McKinsey’s State of AI 2022 Report revealed that less than 25% of AI employees identify as racial or ethnic minorities, with only a third of companies having active programs or initiatives to increase diversity in the field. Moreover, the AI Now Institute released a report in 2019 that found women and people of color are deeply underrepresented in the AI space, with about 80% of AI professors being men, while just 15% of AI research staff at Facebook and 10% at Google are women.
AI4ALL Ignite is a no-cost virtual accelerator program that will offer undergraduate students the opportunity to work on a 13-week immersive AI portfolio project with mentorship and guidance from AI industry experts, a one-day symposium to showcase work and network with recruiters, and eight weeks of training in both career readiness and the AI technical internship interview. Sessions will be offered twice per year with initial spring cohorts running from January through September 2024 and fall cohorts running from September 2024 through February 2025.
Students enrolled in AI4ALL Ignite will gain skills that will set them apart in the AI internship application process, learn to implement a responsible AI framework, and build a strong network of peers and AI practitioners while simultaneously fostering an environment of inclusion. In previous programs offered by AI4ALL, students worked on topics such as Spotify’s algorithms and their effect on artist promotion, the use of facial recognition in the hiring process and the use of AI in medical equipment. Individuals who have completed the Portfolio Project will be added to the Changemakers Connect platform, which provides access to employment opportunities and a peer community.
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“We see a huge boom in the adoption of AI across all sectors with the rise of generative AI,” said Alvaro Rojas-Camaano, Senior Manager, Partnerships and Recruitment at AI4ALL. “Coupled with that, over the past year, we’ve seen dramatic layoffs, especially among DEI and Responsible AI teams at tech companies. Through our new program, we aim to create more focus on where we can have the most immediate impact, accelerating college students from historically excluded groups to attain internships and research opportunities in AI.”
AI4ALL fosters the next generation of individuals who will transform the way AI is developed and used by readying students from communities that have been excluded from the AI space. Although anyone can apply, AI4ALL prioritizes students whose race, gender, ethnicity, intersection and identity have led them to be excluded from AI.
Undergraduate students currently enrolled in two- and four-year U.S. higher education institutions pursuing a major or minor related to computer science are encouraged to apply to participate in AI4ALL Ignite by the following deadlines for the spring 2024 session*.
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