google deepmind

Empowering tomorrow’s AI creators

challenge

To ensure Artificial Intelligence benefits all of humanity, it needs to include diverse values and concerns in its creation. DeepMind’s long-running global scholarship programme aims to bring more new perspectives from underrepresented groups into AI. But this can be a daunting industry to join, especially if you’ve never seen anyone like yourself in it.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

Underrepresented groups are often expected to fit into an established paradigm, but our strategy led to a key cultural insight — what if we asked them to ‘come as they are’? This is especially crucial for AI as unique points-of-view and interests will drive its development into a truly representative technology.

solution

This was articulated as: ‘AI by you,’ a simple phrase that asks potential applicants to see themselves as future authors and owners of AI. With those three words, what started off as a brief about celebrating the scholarship programme, grew into an integrated campaign about representation in AI. 

Resulted in: 167% monthly increase in page views, 40% annual increase in page views, highly positive sentiment ranging from 92.4% to 96.5%, and a 183% increase in scholarship applications.

Manifesto film

Scholarship Series

Weronika

Vitor

Julia

Arnol

Sneha

Outcome

Expressed through an evocative manifesto film, a series of mixed-media scholar stories, social content (across YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram), posters and the scholarship website itself — ‘AI by you’ is a clarion call to the next generation of AI creators to join in and make their mark.