Seymour’s own Sarah Barnbrook recently addressed the threats of AI on a global stage.
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On Tuesday, March 18, Ms Barnbrook co-facilitated a workshop during the 69th session of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women held in New York.
Alongside Two Face Investigations founder Kylee Dennis, Ms Barnbrook advocated for the rights of young women and girls and championed digital safety during the 90-minute session titled Unsafe by Design: The Unseen Risks of AI for the Girl Child.
“We went through the foundation of different principles of AI, deep fakes and technology-facilitated gender-based violence; looking at the sorts of things parents can do, how we can raise awareness about it and what are some of the risks involved with it,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“There are so many layers to it and so many other-side conversations we can have with it.
“It’s a matter of helping put some safeguards in place and starting these conversations.”
To a crowd of international leaders in digital safety, technology and gender equality, Ms Barnbrook drew attention to risks that could often go unseen.
The workshop emphasised how AI could inadvertently expose girls to harmful content, perpetuate gender stereotypes and enable online predators.
The session also touched on the growing concern that AI tools were being used to manipulate, exploit and target young girls online.
“While AI has tremendous potential to enhance learning, creativity and social connection, it’s vital that we develop systems that prioritise safety for all users, particularly vulnerable groups like young girls,” Ms Barnbrook said.
Ms Barnbrook has lived in Seymour for over two decades, and it was her initial local advocacy that expanded her voice to a global ear.
After moving from the United States, Ms Barnbrook took up various volunteer roles in Seymour and surrounds.
Among these, Ms Barnbrook has had involvement with the Seymour Agricultural and Pastoral Society, the Victorian Wine Show and the Country Women’s Association, which she has recently left after having served as deputy state president.
In 2023, Ms Barnbrook founded not-for-profit organisation Away From Keyboard as a way to facilitate technology workshops and promote a safer online environment.
Ms Barnbrook is also the club program organiser for Soroptimist International Melbourne and represents Victoria as a member of the Soroptimist International Australia Advocacy Committee.
It is through these roles that Ms Barnbrook was selected as an accredited delegate for Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific at the UN workshop.
Through her experience living in a regional town, Ms Barnbrook has become a voice for areas that are often overlooked.
“Regionally, not only when it comes to things like ethical AI and safety online, but also with the access to STEM, we know there is lower opportunity in regional areas,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“Most of the schools are not funded the way they need to be, the resources aren’t there for them.
“In the bigger cities, there’s just more access.
“We know that the future is in technology and STEM, and if our kids aren’t getting that access, then they’re going to be behind.”
Following the UN appearance, Ms Barnbrook will be travelling to Washington D.C. to meet with government officials and other non-governmental organisations to discuss AI safety and digital empowerment.
Ms Barnbrook will then make her way to London, where she will attend the Women Changing the World Awards and feature as a speaker at the Global Leadership Summit.
Ms Barnbrook said her change-making would not stop once she returned to Australia.
“I’m involved with Soroptimist, so I’ll continue to do things with them in their advocacy space, and I’ll keep pushing and supporting better access to STEM in regional areas,“ Ms Barnbrook said.
“When we come back as delegates, we’ll be making sure that we follow up with our legislators, and we do what we say we’re going to do.
“Parents need to have their information, educators need to have theirs and regulators need to have theirs so that policy-makers are on board and the tech companies are held accountable.”
For her work in the advocacy space, Ms Barnbrook has been named a finalist in five categories of the Women Changing the World Awards.
Despite this global recognition, Ms Barnbrook is still able to recall her roots, having grown up just two hours away from where the UN session was held in New York.
“If you have lived experience, it pushes you to understand the unmet need,” Ms Barnbrook said.
“To be able to come back here as an adult and to advocate so heavily for women and children has been such an amazing experience.
“It feels incredible to speak to those who are really vulnerable, to girls who don’t have a voice, who have grown up in poverty, or who have grown up with that trauma around them.
“To know that I can bring hope to them, to carry my light for them and to shine my light for them when they need it, when they’re trying to find their way out of the dark, it is so powerful.”
Cadet Journalist