18-year-old inventor Fatima Alkaabi on why the world needs girls to study AI — Assembly

A smart car wheel to stop drivers from using their phones on the road. A robot to take photos of attendees at a conference. A vibrating belt to alert the hearing impaired when someone is speaking. 18-year-old Emirati student Fatima Alkaabi loves bringing her inventions to life with artificial intelligence (AI). She just wishes every girl had the same opportunity.

Around the world, girls and women are underrepresented in STEM classes and jobs, particularly in AI. More than 80% of AI professors are men and only 22% of AI professionals are women. Fatima wants to change this.

“We need more representation of women in AI,” she says. “AI is going to play a major role in our future and we need girls’ and women’s insights to make it work for our benefit. We need women to create things that fit our needs as a society and without their contributions, many of our needs might be ignored or misrepresented.”

The young inventor hopes to encourage the next generation of female leaders in AI through mentorship programmes and by setting an example with her own work. “I feel like it's my responsibility to help others learn something new and explore tech,” shares Fatima. “Growing up, I felt like there weren’t role models for me and no resources I could learn from. I had no girls to look up to. I am hoping to change that for younger students today by being the mentor they need. Being young makes me more relatable to the children and that’s why I really enjoy teaching them and they also enjoy the workshops. They feel like if I can do it, they can too.”

Fatima’s inventions have earned her prizes like the Abu Dhabi Award and first place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Robot Olympics. She has spoken at events like TEDxYouth and the Dubai Maker Faire. But she doesn’t want to be the only female inventor getting these opportunities.

“I feel very privileged and blessed to get to do many great things as a young inventor. Yet, sometimes I feel very disappointed to be the only one who gets to do so many cool things,” Fatima reflects. “There are so many talents out there that need our support and guidance. If we offer them that, they will definitely thrive. I feel very happy that I’m contributing somehow and I hope it doesn’t stop with me.”

I spoke with Fatima about her journey and what we can do to close the gender gap in AI.

Tess Thomas (TT): Tell me how you discovered your love for inventing. What was the first thing you created?

Fatima Alkaabi (FA): I started to show interest in STEM at the age of 7. This was mostly influenced by the environment I grew up in. Both of my parents are in STEM. My father is an engineer and my mother studied IT so conversations about STEM were common in our household. When I started to show interest in STEM, my parents bought me kits and started me off with some basic skills I needed. At the age of 10 I came up with the first invention, the [robot] photographer, which I created for a specific conference at the time in Dubai. It took pictures of the visitors and they got to take souvenirs with them. After all of that, I realized that I enjoyed creating innovations and sharing them with other people.

TT: Which of your (many!) inventions are you most you proud of and why?

FA: I always say that my inventions are like my kids, it's hard to pick a favorite! Yet, I think my favorite is my latest one: the smart teleporter, a robot that attends school for sick children. This invention attends school physically for the student and records classes for them. Students can also virtually be in class by controlling the robot from any device they own. This invention can also be used to provide access to better education for underprivileged students. They can use it to attend a better school either in a different town or country.

I have created a few prototypes that were tested in my former high school. Hopefully, the final prototype will be available in multiple universities and schools in the United Arab Emirates, but I can’t give more details right now.

“We need women to create things that fit our needs as a society and without their contributions, many of our needs might be ignored or misrepresented.”

— Fatima Alkaabi

TT: How or where do you get an idea for a new invention?

FA: I usually get inspired from stories I hear or people I meet. I get very touched by people’s experiences and every time I hear their struggles I feel that I need to help somehow. I have inventions inspired from social media, from conversations I’ve had with friends and teachers and even from articles I've read. If I can think of a solution that I can execute, I usually do. If not, I usually share my ideas with other fellow inventors and innovators in hopes of them creating something that can change someone’s life.

TT: How has your education informed your career as an inventor? What have you learned in the classroom that has helped you with your inventions?

FA: When I first started, my school was not the most supportive environment. My teachers did not understand what I was doing, especially as a young girl. After a few years and changing schools, my school became somewhere I experimented with my inventions and got feedback. Without my education and the support of my school, I would have stopped a long time ago. Many of the components of my inventions were based on lessons I have learned in class in subjects like physics and science. It made me a well-rounded individual and helped me take my inventions to another level. I learned things like the engineering design process and even lessons on public speaking and writing that helped me take my career further.

TT: What advice would you give to other girls who are looking to become inventors? What skills do you think they should learn? What characteristics do you think every good inventor needs?

FA: I advise young girls who are looking into becoming inventors to just go for it. At first, it might be very difficult, especially with all the challenges that face girls and women in STEM. Sometimes it feels like we need to work twice as hard as everybody else but if we believe in ourselves and equip ourselves with the right skills, we can be who we want to be. Definitely look into learning coding or some computer language that you are interested in. Make sure you are open-minded in the sense of understanding that it’s a difficult process and it will take you time to learn and you will probably make mistakes. Be patient, good things take time. Also, be curious, do not be afraid to ask questions when you do not know something and take the time to learn about things you don’t know. It makes a very big difference.

TT: In your recent Instagram post, you talked about how there aren’t a lot of female role models in engineering and AI. What do you think that parents, schools and companies can do to encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in these fields?

FA: We need to encourage girls by showing them role models and promoting STEM in our curricula. Show them that girls can also do STEM and they can be pioneers in AI and tech. Offer internships, start programs and share the stories of successful women you know. Girls should see that there is an opportunity for them to thrive in a challenging field like this one.

TT: Was something you learned in your first semester of university or what was your favorite class?

FA: I learned a lot about engineering but my favorite class was an elective I took titled “Women and creativity” by one of my favorite instructors Lyla Byers from the Women and Gender Studies department where we explored the challenges that faced women in many sectors such as STEM, film, arts, sports and politics.

TT: What activities or groups have you gotten involved with on campus or do you hope to get involved with?

FA: I have not been involved in much honestly. I’ve been an active member in the UAE student association, which gave me an opportunity to meet other people from home. I also volunteered a few times to record Arabic textbooks for the Arabic department. Other than that, I have been focusing on my studies. I hope to join more student clubs in the future that have to do with planning events on campus and I am currently looking into working as a graphic designer somewhere on campus!

TT: Can you tell us about an upcoming project or invention that you’re excited about?

FA: Currently I am taking a little break to focus on my studies and also to adjust to my new lifestyle as an international college student. Tune in and hopefully I’ll be working on something new after I get adjusted.

We have edited and condensed this interview for clarity.