Ekaterina Kochmar, Assistant Professor at MBZUAI, said:
What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM?
I was originally interested in languages and linguistics, but soon realized that technology could help me work more successfully in this field.
I am very passionate about research. Because research is the best way to introduce and incorporate the ideas we have as a great society of scholars and researchers.
We want to implement them and make them work. That’s what drives me, what drives and encourages me to do more research.
What is the best thing about being a woman in the STEM field?
The best thing about being a STEM woman is being able to contribute a different perspective. Bringing different perspectives on how technology works and how artificial intelligence works is extremely valuable. It’s not just about being a woman or being a man, it’s about looking at these things from different angles.
What is your inspirational message for the next generation of women in tech?
My best advice to women starting out in this field is to follow your dreams, stay focused, be decisive, believe in yourself, and remember that setbacks happen to everyone.
It’s more about what you want to do with your life. For example, if you are interested in STEM subjects and AI, I recommend working in this field. Those are very interesting dynamic areas. So make up your mind and do your best.
How can AI help make education more accessible for women around the world?
The main goal of Korbit AI is to use AI methods to democratize education and make education accessible to people all over the world. Unfortunately, we know that many people around the world, including school-age children, do not have access to quality education, and that in some areas girls may be more severely affected. increase.
AI opens the door to people living in remote areas, schoolchildren who can’t afford school, or those who don’t have access to the traditional school system. Modern devices and internet access are far more pervasive than quality public schools and college education.
And not only women can benefit from it. It can be redefined to help people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and other difficulties. Reduce pressure and stress in the classroom environment for students who lack the confidence to speak fluently. They may not dare to ask, so different technologies personalized for them may work well.
How do you think AI-powered teaching fits into traditional classroom instruction?
Technology is already at a level where it can be used to provide quality education to people. The time is ripe, as people’s attitudes towards technology are constantly changing and more countries are providing the accessible internet and devices that form the basis for such technology to be implemented.
The field of AI in education is still relatively new. I know we’re close to putting all this work together, but one of the main challenges right now is getting the right frameworks installed. Researchers around the world are currently working on this.
ChatGPT is a great example of how technology can basically provide a lot of material, but we need to understand how to properly integrate it into a quality educational process. Mislead students and give factual and correct advice. I don’t want to rewrite history!
The best way we approach education is one-on-one tutoring, but it is impossible to provide such tutoring for everyone. With AI tutors, we are trying to improve the way education works for everyone and make it truly personalized to meet the educational needs of every student.
I strongly believe that AI should help teachers, help students, and be seamlessly integrated into the learning process. It should not replace teachers. We know that AI has complementary strengths with teachers. What I see for the future of education is hybrid systems that can offload specific tasks to AI, allowing teachers to focus and discuss more interesting, more challenging tasks and questions with students. is. Then technology really benefits everyone. A good example here is the scoring process. This is usually very standard and takes a lot of time for teachers.
Finally, what are the obstacles you faced as a young female researcher?
Academia in general is very competitive. There are so many barriers. I remember the first time I tried to publish my paper. It was not accepted. I was on the verge of “Are you going to do this or do you want to stop now?” This was my first PhD experience. Publish a paper. It sets you back a little.
Your paper will be reviewed blindly, so strangers may be very critical of your work. This can be quite disappointing. This made me persevere. These barriers must always be overcome if you are determined that it is what you want to do. For example, every time you apply for a research grant or write a paper you have to defend, there will be setbacks and failures, so you need to be determined.
Recently, a highly successful professor in his field was told that all the grants and jobs he didn’t get, not accepted and rejected at one venue, were resubmitted and at another. We have published submissions for all accepted papers. And he won the Best Paper Award. It shows that it is about determination and self-confidence. It is important to keep
Ekaterina Kochmar is Assistant Professor of Natural Language Processing (NLP) at Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Chief Scientific Officer at Korbit AI.
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https://gulfbusiness.com/women-in-tech-ekaterina-kochmar/ Ekaterina Kochmar, Assistant Professor at MBZUAI, said:
