For the third time, high-profile speakers and renowned executives from leading international companies met yesterday at the EqualVoice Summit in Zurich to promote gender equality. The focus was on the role of diversity in artificial intelligence. Two star guests, Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland, and Hollywood director Marc Forster, also promoted gender equality in the media, the digital world and beyond.
Breaking out of old role models, moving towards a fairer future. Under the motto «Gender Visibility Gap in Media & AI», the 3rd EqualVoice Summit was dedicated to the topics of visibility and gender diversity in the context of artificial intelligence. Once again, the summit attracted 250 top executives from the international business, film and media world.
At the invitation of Marc Walder, CEO of Ringier, and Dr. Annabella Bassler, CFO of the Ringier Group and initiator of the EqualVoice initiative, the executives discussed visibility and gender diversity in the context of artificial intelligence at the Aura in Zurich. Star guests and keynote speakers included former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Hollywood director Marc Forster and former Swiss Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga.
Marc Walder said in his joint opening with Annabella Bassler: «The motto of the EqualVoice Summit «Gender Visibility Gap in Media & AI» is timely and essential. AI learns from the data we feed it, which means that the stories, images and perspectives highlighted in our media today will influence the AI-driven systems of tomorrow. At EqualVoice, we are committed to addressing this challenge with a data-driven approach: by capturing and promoting balanced representation in our content, we are working to ensure that AI reflects a world where all voices – regardless of gender, origin, and socio-economic background – are equally important.»
Film director Marc Forster: «The issue of gender equality in AI is multifaceted and needs to be taken very seriously. AI systems can reflect or reinforce existing gender biases in the data used to train them.»
Carolina Müller-Möhl, Founder and Chairman of the Müller-Möhl Group & Müller-Möhl Foundation: «A digital future without women is not just a missed opportunity to be shrugged off, but an economic risk for our entire society. It is high time to break down barriers and develop solutions together to integrate women into the world of technology and enable them to achieve visibility and success. The Equal Voice Summit is a relevant contribution to the discussion of current issues at the interface with the media world.»
Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in her speech: «The rights of women and girls should be at the heart of our digital transformation. If artificial intelligence is to serve society as a whole, it must reflect all of us.»
Highlights from the EqualVoice Summit 2024
Launch of the EqualVoice Assistant
This tool is designed to address the nuances of diversity bias in articles published by Ringier media brands in real time. The AI solution scans content as it is created, identifies gender imbalances and stereotypes, and offers specific suggestions for improvement. The EqualVoice assistant not only tracks gender mentions, but also understands context and tone, allowing it to correct and flag wording that could subtly reinforce stereotypes. With this tool, Ringier is not only setting new standards for content, but also creating a framework for AI-driven editorial processes that prioritize equality and representation. As AI plays an increasingly important role in media, the EqualVoice Assistant empowers editorial teams to play a critical role in shaping the way content is produced and perceived. Once the EqualVoice Assistant is fully implemented, a roll-out beyond Ringier’s media brands is planned.
Dr. Annabella Bassler, CFO Ringier & initiator of EqualVoice: «With the introduction of the EqualVoice Assistant, we are taking a significant step forward in addressing the biases and stereotypes that subtly shape articles and content on a daily basis. This tool is not just about identifying inequalities; it is about fostering a media environment that reflects the true diversity of voices and experiences. We want to empower female storytellers and promote balanced, authentic representation.»
Expanding the EqualVoice factor
The expanded EqualVoice factor now measures text, images, video and audio, providing a comprehensive view of gender representation across all media formats. Thirty-two national and international media brands in seven countries use the EqualVoice Factor in their daily work to ensure and improve gender balance in their publications. Even non-media companies, such as mobile phone provider Sunrise, use the EqualVoice Factor to analyze their social media channels to ensure a balanced gender presence.
Partnership with Microsoft Switzerland and IMD
A white paper on diversity bias through AI, developed by the EqualVoice Initiative in collaboration with Microsoft Switzerland and IMD in Lausanne (International Institute for Management Development), was presented at the EqualVoice Summit and met with great interest. The white paper provides new insights into how AI unintentionally reinforces gender and diversity biases.
Cooperation with HSG, St. Gallen
The newly established cooperation between EqualVoice and the University of St. Gallen and its Competence Center for Diversity and Inclusion was also presented at the EqualVoice Summit. In collaboration with the HSG Competence Center for Diversity & Inclusion, EqualVoice offers interested companies the EqualVoice Factor as an analysis tool for social media posts and media releases.
Partners of the third EqualVoice Summit are – as in previous years – the Müller-Möhl Foundation and Range Rover Switzerland.
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EqualVoice Summit – Sanna Marin (photocredits Marco Bilic)
EqualVoice Summit – Marc Walder, Carolina Müller-Möhl, Sanna Marin, Karin Held, Annabella Bassler, Damian Donnellan (photocredits Marco Bilic)
Equal Voice Summit – Marc Walder, Carolina Mühler-Möhl, Sanna Marin, Annabella Bassler (photocredits Marco Bilic)
EqualVoice Summit – Marc Walder & Annabella Bassler on stage (photocredits Marco Bilic)
EqualVoice Summit – Simonetta Sommaruga (photocredits Marco Bilic)
About EqualVoice
The initiative was launched in November 2019 by CFO Annabella Bassler, and is chaired by publisher Michael Ringier and CEO Marc Walder. The aim of the initiative is to promote gender equality and to increase the visibility of women in the media. At its core is the EqualVoice factor, which measures the presence of women and men in the media. Today, it is used by 32 media brands in seven countries, reaching 50 million users. Other projects of the Ringier initiative comprise the EqualVoice United network with diversity partner EDGE and Swiss companies, the list of female experts as an internal Ringier research tool, the photo challenge EqualPyxx for more diverse images, and the expert workshop “Fit4Media” to promote female expertise. www.equalvoice.ch
About Ringier
Ringier is a Swiss media and technology company. The Group comprises around 140 companies in 20 countries, which operate a range of leading media brands, digital platforms, and marketplaces. 83 percent of the operating profit comes from the digital business. This makes Ringier one of the leading media companies in Europe. The family business has been based on entrepreneurship, cooperation, innovation, trust and courage for more than 190 years. www.ringier.com