The world our children are inheriting is a dynamic landscape and vastly different from the one we navigated as children. As educators, our responsibility goes beyond simply imparting knowledge and subject content. More than that, we cannot simply be exam factories churning out grades and qualifications. We must also prepare them for a future that remains largely uncharted, particularly within the fast paced and often perplexing realm of technology. You may well have heard us talk about future career prospects for our current pupils, or be aware of the statistics that suggest that many of them will go into job roles and careers that don’t even exist yet. It is tempting to reminisce about the perceived simplicities of the past and those “good old days!”, but our duty lies in equipping young people with the tools to thrive in the complexities of tomorrow.

Back at the start of February, I was lucky enough to attend the Senior Leaders Conference at Putney High School in London. This annual conference is a vital forum for educational professionals within the Girl’s Day School Trust to exchange ideas and collaborate, and this year we heard from a range of inspirational speakers, including the very talented Dr Eleanor Drage, of Cambridge University. She delivered a compelling presentation on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and technology. Her message was not one of doom and gloom, nor did she resort to fearmongering. Instead, she offered a clear and pragmatic message that we must take action to ensure that the future of technological developments remains positive. Crucially, she emphasised the imperative of including young voices, especially those of girls, in shaping the trajectory of technological advancement. Children, she argued, bring unique and invaluable perspectives vital for combating the multifaceted biases that often dominate AI platforms.

Drage highlighted the mechanism by which bias is compounded: by exposing our thinking processes to biased information, we generate further biased information, essentially “washing” away individuality and creating a negative multiplier effect. This is not merely a theoretical concern; there is compelling evidence to suggest that women are routinely discriminated against through AI proxies or “soft data” that suggests gender – like sports, names, activities, and even seemingly neutral language. Even when AI is instructed to disregard gender, it often produces data sets that are inherently gendered.

The numbers on this speak for themselves. Only about 29% of all AI professionals worldwide are women (as of 2024). While this represents a modest improvement from previous years we still have a long way to go. This lack of female representation in AI development is a major concern, as it directly contributes to the perpetuation of gender bias in these technologies. Furthermore, the problem is not confined to the present; it is reflected in our cultural narratives. In 100 years of sci-fi films featuring AI, only 9 out of 116 AI professionals were female. Many of these female characters were relegated to stereotypical roles, such as the sacrificial lamb for a male protagonist, or were transformed into sexualised AI robots. These portrayals reinforce harmful stereotypes and arguably have further marginalised women in the field.

Therefore, AI and technology are inherently feminist issues. The algorithms that shape our world are not neutral, but instead, they reflect the biases of their creators. It is imperative that girls are part of the conversation, that they are empowered to challenge, innovate, and shape the future of technology.

However, we cannot simply retreat from these discussions, no matter how uncomfortable they might sometimes feel. Removing ourselves from platforms where the majority think differently is actively unhelpful. Just because we don’t like what is being said doesn’t mean we should retreat from the discussion. Doing so silences our voice and reinforces the echo chamber effect, where we are only surrounded by opinions we already agree with. Whilst this may feel safe and cosy, we must encourage ourselves to get up, open the door and face the icy blast of the opposing view head on. We must disagree, but disagree well. This is such an important message for our girls now and in the future.

Civil discourse therefore, is paramount. We must teach our girls to articulate their points effectively, to engage with opposing views respectfully, and to claim their seat at the table. At the GDST, and particularly at Northampton High School, we support our girls in developing these skills through our PSHE programmes, enrichment activities, and the ethos that permeates our curriculum. Navigating civil discourse is not just about expressing our views, but also about engaging with those who differ from us in all sorts of ways. Surrounded only by like-minded individuals, we risk assuming that those who disagree are inherently wrong. This is a dangerous mindset that can lead to division and misunderstanding. But learning to do this is difficult. It is a challenge for adults, whose rational brain is fully developed and who can more easily separate fiction from reality, or at least think critically about the information they are presented with. For children and teenagers, this is a far more difficult job, as they face a sea of misinformation, biased opinions and the ever looming ‘fear of getting it wrong’. 

The GDST and their, now global, colleagues are designing the future of girls’ education, empowering them to embrace change, analyse information critically, and shape technology ethically. This is such an exciting time as we prepare pupils not just for the world as it is, but for the world they will create. We believe in empowering them to embrace change, critically analyse information and develop their own opinions and voices. We provide opportunities for them to practice engagement in respectful dialogue, even then they disagree with the alternative view and remain engaged in diverse discussions with their peers. We are equipping them to thrive in the unknown, to lead with courage, and to build a future that is both innovative and inclusive, a future where AI serves all of humanity, not just a select few. To quote Dr Lee, we want our pupils to be “10% braver”, to throw themselves at the challenges ahead and be “10 louder” about their accomplishments when they get there. I can’t wait to see what our girls will go on to achieve, once they take their rightful seats at the table.