Summary
In Season 2 Ep. 13 of Dr. Pawd, the guest, Dr. Ayanna Howard, talks about her journey into the field of robotics, her experiences working on projects at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, her work with her nonprofit venture Zyrobotics, and her thoughts on the use and development of AI and its potential biases.
Dr. Howard has an impressive background, being a roboticist, entrepreneur, educator, author, and the current Dean of the Ohio State University College of Engineering. She started her career hacking a modem to tele-operate a remote control car and went on to work in leading roles at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, where she built next-generation rovers for space exploration. During her time at NASA, she led a project called Smart Nav, where she worked on designing tools for autonomous navigation by encoding human knowledge and expertise into algorithms.
Dr. Howard emphasizes the importance of AI being developed by diverse teams to avoid biases. She suggests that companies need to pause and get customer feedback before releasing an app or device to prevent negative impacts and regulations being imposed on them in the future. She also highlights the potential for over-trust in AI and the expanding digital divide between those who have access to AI technologies and those who don't.
Dr. Howard's nonprofit, Zyrobotics, provides services for children with special needs around STEM education and therapy. Their app, Zumo, and tablet access device are designed to enable children with mobility impairments to access infrastructure through software apps and devices. Zyrobotics is a non-profit, and all its apps are available for free on iTunes and Google Play, while the devices can be purchased through donations from local charity organizations.
In conclusion, Dr. Howard's experiences in robotics, her nonprofit venture, and her thoughts on AI and its potential biases provide critical insights into the importance of diverse teams and community feedback during the development process. Her work highlights the potential of AI, but also the need for ethical considerations, feedback, and inclusivity during its development.
