Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries worldwide, with healthcare standing out as an area of immense potential. As we explore the future of AI in fields like radiology, it’s vital to understand who is shaping the discourse in this domain. A recent study by Busch and colleagues delves into an intriguing yet often overlooked aspect of AI research—diversity among editorial board members in top AI and computer science journals.
The study’s findings reveal notable trends in both gender and geographic representation among editors. In a field where inclusivity could enhance both research quality and applicability, it’s interesting to see that only 17% of editorial board members were women, with even lower representation at senior levels. This prompts reflection on the potential effects of such disparities on the types of research prioritized and funded, particularly in healthcare settings where AI-driven solutions need to be as unbiased and generalizable as possible.
Geographically, the study highlights another disparity: editorial boards are predominantly populated by individuals from a few select countries, with editors from the U.S., the U.K., and China making up about half of the total. Given the global nature of health issues, this concentration raises questions about whether research agendas in AI might be influenced by the cultural and healthcare priorities of these regions. What impact could a broader geographic representation have on AI’s role in healthcare worldwide?
This study could be a call to action for greater diversity in the editorial ranks of influential journals. As AI in healthcare continues to grow, it will be fascinating to see how these trends evolve and whether they inspire shifts toward inclusivity, potentially enriching the field and leading to AI innovations that serve a more diverse global population.
This study used Namsor™ Gender Guesser™ https://gender-guesser.com (accessed 4 Feb 2023).
Image credits : illustration for the scientific paper “Mapping gender and geographic diversity in artificial intelligence research: Editor representation in leading computer science journals” visually emphasizing gender and geographic diversity in AI research through symbolic representation on a world map. The design uses professional colors and highlights major AI research hubs, suitable for an academic publication. Text credits for summarization : ChatGPT.
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