RBC Borealis is excited to announce its support for Athena Pathways Project, a British Columbia-based initiative supported by academia, government and industry, dedicated to tackling the under-representation of women in technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Canada is a pioneer of AI and Machine Learning (ML). However, there continues to be a lack of women in this field. RBC Borealis’s collaboration with Athena Pathways will tackle the gender imbalance in AI and technology in general, by providing mentorship and internship opportunities to women, starting their careers in these fields.

Athena Pathways has a near-term goal of enrolling 500 women in high-school and university courses, as well as providing internships, mentorships, and other workplace opportunities to significantly increase the number of women currently working for industry in the technology sector.

As part of its support, RBC Borealis will work with female students across universities in British Columbia to add industry skills and experience to their studies through internships and provide them with job-seeking advice to prepare them for their careers as soon as they graduate. RBC Borealis’s support will help improve gender diversity in the field of technology and will help address Canada’s needs in AI talent.

The Athena Pathways project also aims to mitigate risks in AI technology due to the gender imbalance and misrepresentation across AI model creators.

Speaking of the project, Dr. Eirene Seiradaki, Director of Research Partnerships at RBC Borealis, said: “We are proud to support Athena Pathways. We share their commitment to attracting more women to the field of AI. Our collaboration with Athena will enable us to provide ongoing support and training to women at the very start of their careers and encourage a more competitive talent landscape in Canada.”

This project is part of RBC Borealis’s ongoing program focused on women in AI and technology. RBC Borealis recently announced its support for AI4Good Lab, a 7-week summer training program that annually brings together a cohort of 30 women from across Canada.