Language as Inclusion or Exclusion: Can Artificial Intelligence Make a Difference?

In celebration of Iberoamerican Heritage Month, also known as Hispanic Heritage Month, ACM hosted a panel focused on language inclusion in the computer science field. Organized by ACM DEI Council member, Cristiano Maciel, the discussion panel, “Language as Inclusion of Exclusion: Can Artificial Intelligence Make a Difference?” explored ways to reduce language barriers in computer science and how AI can address these disparities in underrepresented languages. Moderated by Indira Guzman, the panel featured Franci Suni, Vinicius Pereira, and Nayat Sanchez-Pi. The panel took place on October 23, 2024 at 5 PM EST.
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Moderator
Dr. Indira Guzman received a B.S. and a M.S. in Computer Science Engineering from Donetsk National Technical University in Ukraine, a M.S. in Information Management and a Ph.D. in Information Science and Technology and from Syracuse University. She has a decade of industry experience in information technology (IT) management and compliance in banking, and sixteen years of academic and administrative experience in online doctoral programs in business and information systems. Dr. Guzman is a Fulbright alumnus and an active member of the Academy of Management, the Association of Computing Machinery SIGMIS Computers and People Research, ISACA, and the Association of Information Systems. She currently serves as the 2021-2023 President of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the Association of Information Systems. She is also a research consultant for the 2022-2025 research project entitled "Latin American Open Data for Gender Equality Policies Focusing on Leadership in STEM" funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada for the Gender in STEM Research Initiative aimed to reduce the gender gap in IT leadership in Latin America.


Panelists
Dr. Nayat Sánchez-Pi is an expert in artificial intelligence with a distinguished international career spanning Europe and Latin America. She is the General Director of Inria Chile, the Chilean center of the French National Institute for Research in Digital Sciences and Technologies (Inria) whose mission is to operate Franco-Chilean cooperation in digital sciences and artificial intelligence and between Europe and Latin America. Before joining Inria, she was a professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, and founder and co-director of the Research Group on Artificial Intelligence and Optimization (RIO Group). Dr. Sánchez-Pi holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Carlos III University of Madrid, for which she obtained the Extraordinary Doctorate Award. Throughout her career, she has focused on artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction, emphasizing responsible and ethical AI to solve critical real-world problems. For several years, she has been collaborating with several governments on their national AI strategies. She collaborates with UNESCO and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). She is a member of expert groups at influential organizations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GCRAIM), contributing her expertise on ethical and responsible AI and AI governance. She sits on several boards and committees and as Vice President of the Chilean Association of Information Technology Companies, which promotes public-private collaboration for the development of sustainable and ethical AI.

Franci Suni is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Lima, where he leads the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His research focuses on affective computing and developing AI algorithms to detect human emotions, with the goal of improving the adaptability of software services. He also works on human-media interaction, particularly using social robots to engage with people, and explores the use of persuasive technologies to promote behavior change.

Vinicius Pereira holds a PhD and Master's in Literary Studies from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and completed a postdoctoral research at the University of Nottingham (UoN), UK. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Letters and research supervisor of the Graduate Program in Language Studies at the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). Pereira is leader of the SEMIC (Contemporary Semiotics) research group and member of the DAVI (Data Beyond Life) research group. He was also a former editor of the "Culture and Critique" column in SBC Horizontes journal. His main areas of research are: Literature, Media, and Technology; Electronic/Digital Literature; Digital Art; Human-Computer Interaction; and Semiotics.