This year I'm committed to upskilling 500,000 people in artificial intelligence. You might think that sounds like a long reach, but I don't.

Why am I making this public pledge? Most of you know I already work 50-70 hours a week running my AI and mental health tech company, Transhuman. So, am I mad? 

The answer is yes, and no. Below, I've dot pointed my 'why'.

• I believe access to the internet and basic technical fluency is a human right.

• Currently, the knowledge gap between an empowered individual in AI and someone who gets 'left behind' is low. Those who don't embrace now will be left behind, that's a responsibility I don't want to carry.

• There's a wise of saying "Teach the teacher, to teach the teacher" – and that is my approach. I'm spending 5-10 hours a week teaching virtually and in person with the largest organisations and bodies in the world; everyone from education, retail, finance, telco's real estate, and banking. My goal is to educate the decision-makers in organisations on basic AI and empower them to spread entry-level knowledge to their teams. 

In 2020 - 2022, I was hosting daily live audio shows for on Artificial Intelligence with global heads of AI, ethics, and ML from NASA, Microsoft, Stanford, Universal, WEF, Amazon, Google, and Meta. Our conversations were broadcast around the globe and collectively our team of hosts upskilled and empowered tens of millions, but it was all done from the comfort of behind a screen during COVID.

Our show, Talk Nerdy To Me got an astonishing 300,000 organic subscribers in this time.

My major target is to empower the next generation of STEM leaders. Especially to spark hope and courage in girls in classrooms who are being encouraged into more 'gender norm' career paths.

I did not finish year 12 at the public school I attended, am dyslexic and from a low socio-economic community in a regional town called Launceston, Tasmania. The odds were not stacked in my favor for success in STEM – and that is an important story to share and have on stages in front of 3500 at the Australian Youth Leadership Conference and last week at the Schmidt Futures Quad Fellowship workshop.

We know that women are significantly underrepresented in Australia's AI industry. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources recently shared an alarming snapshot of the disparity in STEM and highlighted glaringly the influencing point behind girls being encouraged into STEM careers is a huge factor in the lack of adoption into STEM careers.

"The perception that some STEM fields are a better fit for males, particularly by influencers such as parents, educators, and career counsellors, is one of the biggest barriers to girls and women participating and persisting in STEM."

Further "A lack of diverse female role models in STEM, whether in the classroom, at work or on the screen, further decreases girls' and women's likelihood of persisting in STEM education and considering STEM as a career option. For girls, female role models are crucial to their perception of whether they could work in STEM."

I call on all leaders in AI to not 'bottle the magic'. Please share as many resources as you can as often as you can with your community. It is our responsibility to empower others in this huge industry shift. Let's not gatekeep. 

I'm an introvert, but step outside of my comfort zone to do keynote speeches, boardroom briefings, and join panels. You can too. 

Let's teach the teachers to teach the teachers and use our voices for good.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

by Amanda Johnstone.

Learn more about me at amandajohnstone.com