Diversity Helps Drive Innovation In Technology

In a heavily-analyzed time, where it's easy to be overwhelmed by a deluge of data, a fresh perspective is a great vehicle for innovation. But the ability to take a new perspective, and approach problems from a new angle, becomes much tougher when everyone is in lockstep with one another.

Diversity in ideas and perspectives is just one of the many aspects of innovation, that becomes tough to pull off, when the work becomes routine and becomes routine in a world, that's growing increasingly diverse themselves. Tech companies, like many organizations, rely on tapping into the diversity of skills, ideas, and backgrounds of employees and customers. Those who embrace diversity and create a culture of learning and sharing it among themselves and with others reap the benefits.

Diversity is often touted as a benefit to the individual, organization, and the world at large. Yet, as the world becomes more diverse, how can we ensure that the benefits of that diversity accrue to everyone? How can we foster more inclusive environments, where the unique contributions of every individual aren't lost?

The answer, according to a growing body of research, is quite simple: we must transform education. The benefits of a diverse, innovative and creative workforce are well known, but are not always well distributed. Just as there are the people, who will benefit from the knowledge and experience of others, there are also the people who will benefit from creating or maintaining that knowledge and experience.

The Importance Of Diversity In Technology

Diversity is not a new concept in the field of technology, despite what one may think of the human race. In fact, the importance of understanding the differences between those, who are innovating and creating and those, who are merely using and benefiting from the innovations of others has been long understood.

The field of technology is a human endeavor and human endeavors are inherently and intrinsically diverse. What one person may consider an innovation, another may consider a simple convenience. The same is true of the problems, that one person considers an obstacle, another considers a challenge. The list of things that one person considers a benefit, another considers a nuisance and another considers a necessity goes on and on. Diversity in technology has been and will be a never-ending source of inspiration, debate, and innovation.

Yet, the way that technology is taught often encourages a homogenization of thought and perspective. We are often trained, especially in high school, to think of creativity and innovation as the exclusive domain of the few. We are discouraged from considering or discussing the finer points of philosophy, ethics, and societal implications.

This is not to say, that we shouldn't learn these things, but rather that they are not the sole preserve of those, who are smart and curious. Those who are interested in knowing more about the world and how it works are often dismissed. And while they might not be dismissed so much as ignored, their perspectives and opinions are not necessarily valued or even considered. This is especially true of students from the marginalized groups in our societies.

Diversity Can Lead To Better Analytics And Prediction

Diversity is not just important for its own sake, it is of practical importance for the kinds of understanding and insights, that arise from it. When we have a heterogeneous set of experiences to draw upon, we are better able to approach problems in a flexible and creative manner.

What might seem at first blush to be a simple question of right and wrong, might in fact be a much more complicated question of human psychology and motivation. It might also be, as is often the case, a question of how those motivations play out in a given social and political context.

For example, many of the breakthroughs in machine learning and natural language processing over the last decade have come from research in these areas where you can draw on the insights and experiences of people, who are very different from you, but who share a variety of commonalities (e.g. interest in the same kinds of questions, have similar kinds of experiences, or both).

These areas often benefit from a diversity of perspectives and experiences, not just those that are directly relevant to the task, but also those that might not be directly relevant, but that can provide a different lens through which to view the same data.

Similarly, the study of human-computer interaction is often improved by the application of methods and insights drawn from social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The more we can integrate these areas of study into the technological design process, the more we will be able to leverage the advantages of a diverse human population.