As the importance of ethical AI continues to grow, understanding who is engaging with this knowledge can help us shape future learning opportunities. Based on feedback from the first participants in the DIVERSIFAIR AI Ethics Course, here are some key observations:
Strong academic backgrounds
A significant proportion of learners hold advanced degrees: 60% have a Master’s, 6% a PhD, and 23% a Bachelor’s degree. This suggests the course is attracting individuals with a solid academic foundation, seeking to deepen their expertise rather than starting from scratch.
Experienced professionals
Participants tend to be mid- to senior-level practitioners, often occupying roles such as Data Scientist, AI Engineer, Software Engineer, as well as leadership positions like Team Leads or Heads of Departments in IT and analytics. This highlights a clear intention to embed ethical considerations into existing professional practices.
Diverse and international cohort
Learners come from over 30 countries, with notable representation from Lithuania, India, Nigeria, the United States, and Spain. The group is also notably gender-diverse, with women making up 64% of participants. Age ranges vary widely, from early career professionals in their twenties to experienced experts in their sixties.
The paper challenges prevailing, technical-only approaches to fairness in AI and offers practical recommendations grounded in intersectional thinking, drawing from feminist and social justice traditions. This work is part of DIVERSIFAIR’s broader mission to explore how algorithmic systems can be developed with greater attention to structural inequalities and real-world contexts.
