In an interview with “Deu Tilt,” UOL’s podcast for the humans behind the machines, Gabriela shared her concerns about changes in the corporate climate. She noted a resurgence of sexist attitudes that seemed to have been left in the past but are now reappearing more frequently in many companies.
The most impactful thing for me was the closure of many external organizations, which had been working for years to support minorities and help include these people in the tech field. They shut down because companies withdrew resources, says Gabriela de Queiroz.
Despite this backdrop, Gabriela reports that her former team at Microsoft remained steadfast, adopting a more committed stance on diversity—an attitude not mirrored by other tech giants like Google, Meta, or Salesforce.
“Microsoft kept the programs going. They still send emails and stress how important [diversity] is, and that surprised me”
– Gabriela de Queiroz.
However, she points out that there is a climate of fear among those working with diversity and inclusion. Individuals who previously spoke openly about the issue are now more cautious, carefully choosing when and where to discuss it, fearful of retaliation.
Unfortunately, it will take years to return to what it was, Gabriela de Queiroz laments.
Full of Noise and Misleading Waves
Artificial intelligence has become a top priority at Microsoft, sometimes at the expense of other areas like gaming, leading to mass layoffs. According to Gabriela, despite heavy investments, the AI landscape is still fraught with noise and waves that aren’t always what they seem.
For instance, AI agents have become the latest craze in both big techs and startups, yet not all prototype features function effectively in real-world applications. While AI agents may make sense in customer service or call centers, elsewhere they seem more like a marketing ploy than a solid solution. Gabriela makes an important distinction between automation and AI agents, emphasizing that neither is likely to replace useful tools like Word macros anytime soon.
“We are still going to struggle with AI,” says the former Microsoft director.
The Need for Multidisciplinary Teams
Despite being optimistic, Gabriela highlights the risks that advancements in new technologies pose to society. She suggests that rethinking the relentless race for AI involves reintegrating professionals like linguists, anthropologists, and sociologists who were pivotal at the outset of AI development.
Gabriela sees a promising trend as more people, encouraged by the democratization of AI tools, begin to recognize the importance of forming multidisciplinary teams. This could shape a better future for AI. Her main concern today is the impact these new technologies have on recent university graduates trying to enter the job market.
Big Techs and AI: Not as Much as They Claim
Gabriela de Queiroz, the former AI director at Microsoft, asserts in her interview with “Deu Tilt” that the competition among big tech companies to claim the most extensive use of AI is largely a marketing strategy. The reality in the day-to-day operations within these companies doesn’t match the hype.
I didn’t see much being used internally in bureaucratic processes, more in products. I think this is mostly to generate media buzz for the big companies, [about] who is doing more with AI. Don’t believe everything that’s being said, because there’s this competition about who gets the most media attention, explains Gabriela de Queiroz.
AI and Job Losses: Not the Culprit
Regarding the wave of layoffs, including her own, Gabriela clarifies that AI wasn’t the reason for the redundancies. Despite the common narrative that AI is replacing human jobs, she insists that her role and many others that were cut were crucial to the foundational aspects of AI within the company.
“Even though everyone says [it was because of AI], it wasn’t. Especially my position and several others that were affected were focused on the fundamental aspects. There’s no way AI could have replaced us. Of course, in various places we use AI to boost productivity, but in my view, that wasn’t the main reason”
– Gabriela de Queiroz.
Source: UOL Tilt
