RG x RACI_EmpoweringtheFutureofSTEM_singlepages300dpi - Book - Page 22
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K i OWA S COT T- H U R L E Y ●
AI AND CYBERSECURi TY SPECi ALi ST
L
ate at night, young Kiowa was usually busy, fighting fictional battles in
magical universes or brushing up on cat breeds with her handy
encyclopedias. Whether she was devouring books, making art, or writing stories,
she was always exercising her creativity.
Growing up in Gunai Kurnai Country, there wasn’t a lot of money to go around.
Kiowa and her best friend came up with their own clever ways to patch the holes
in their shoes and entertain themselves with what they had on hand.
It was rare for kids from her area to go to uni, but she did. And she began to
study maths and philosophy. Kiowa had always been bright and open-minded,
but along the way, she realised that she’d made some assumptions about
scientists that weren’t always true. People who worked in STEM, she thought,
wore white coats and spent their days quietly toiling in a lab. Right?
Today, Kiowa provides guidance to scientists and everyday people about how
to avoid risks and use AI smartly. She also manages a team of engineers who use
her findings to build new AI tools. She spends her days at a computer, she still
gets to use her art skills, and she is constantly collaborating with others. And there
are no lab coats to be found in her wardrobe!
Computers are amazing tools, but people are invaluable. They provide
different perspectives that help hone ideas and push them forwards. Kiowa
brings her perspectives to everything she does. She’s a Dja Dja Wurrung woman,
and she has a chronic illness. Her experiences help her notice things that other
people don’t.
“Instead of assuming things are already awesome,” she says, “I’m always
wondering how things could be better – and that’s a real skill to have in STEM!”
BORN 1998
AUSTRALiA
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