Female digital innovators - Where are you? (DigInnen)
The project “Female digital Innovators - Where are you?”, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (DigInnen) is dedicated to the limited visibility of women in the field of digital innovation. Representation and recognition of female innovators are hampered by gender-specific distortions in the communication and perception of digital innovations. The project aims to investigate these barriers and develop solutions to sustainably strengthen the visibility of women in the field of digital innovation. The focus is on three central questions:
To what extent does a gender bias exist in the field of digital innovation in Large Language Models (LLMs) and to what extent does this bias reflect our societal perceptions? How can users counter this bias in LLMs?
How do women communicate about digital innovations on digital channels in contrast to men?
How can female digital innovators change the way they communicate about digital innovations to increase their visibility in LLMs and in our society?
DigInnen is divided into two sub-projects: Subproject A analyzes gender biases in LLMs and in society, whereas subproject B examines gender differences in communication about digital innovations on digital channels. Based on this, practical tips for female innovators will be developed to improve their digital communication. In addition, approaches will be developed on how we as a society can respond to a gender bias in digital innovation topics among LLMs and its effects. In order to support female innovators worldwide, the results will be prepared and presented to the public.
The project cooperates with the meta-IFiF meta project, which networks all projects of the BMBF funding guideline “Innovative Women in Focus”. The three-year project was launched in October 2024 and will run until September 2027. The funding amounts to around 450,000 euros.
Further information on the project, such as specific details on the sub-projects, can be found on the official project website.