Samsung Innovation Campus Learner Spotlight: Natia Lollie

Underscoring our commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of diverse innovators, Samsung Electronics America launched its second annual Samsung Innovation Campus in the U.S. in November 2023. The virtual seven-month educational program was designed to offer Millennial and Gen Z women the opportunity to gain practical education in emerging technologies and enhance their employment prospects. And the 2023 cohort recently concluded their Artificial Intelligence Course, which is rooted in problem-based learning (PBL).

While a PwC study estimates that artificial intelligence (AI) has a $15.7 trillion potential contribution to the global economy by 2030, there’s a significant challenge related to the diversity of those programming the technology itself. The World Economic Forum notes that about 78% of global AI professionals are male. With heightened attention on and the accelerated pace of investments in AI, the gender gap in this space has the potential to create a vastly inequitable future — economically and for our industry. That’s why it’s vital to support the inclusion of different genders, as well as races, ethnicities, orientations, identities, ages, and abilities, into AI design and development as it will inevitably change existing biases and minimize the likelihood of discrimination by AI systems.

For our Samsung Innovation Campus Learner series, we asked a few Artificial Intelligence Course participants – like Natia Lollie – to share the reasons why they’re pursuing AI via the program and their views on the need to make the industry more gender-diverse.

My name is Natia Lollie. As a 29-year-old African American woman from Texas, I joined Samsung Innovation Campus because I have always had a passion for AI and Robotics.

I recently finished 7-month program and I’m especially enjoying the course work on Neural Networks and Deep Learning as it has broadened my understanding of how we can use AI and machine learning to further advance the field of robotics and solve complex problems.

Samsung’s decision to address gender diversity in AI by offering the course to women aged 17-35 from across the U.S. is brilliant and progressive. The lack of diversity in the technology industry has been a long-standing issue and Samsung’s initiative to bring about inclusivity and diversity in the space is a significant step in the right direction. Encouraging women to participate and find their place in the development and governance of the AI and machine learning (ML) industry will not only ensure diverse perspectives and reduce bias, but also promote representation by assuring that all voices are heard.

Ultimately, my goal is to leverage the knowledge that I’m gaining from the Samsung Innovation Campus program as a springboard to launch a career in AI and Robotics, specifically Computer Vision.