Gartic Telephone is an online game that mixes Pictionary with the Telephone game (the game where you whisper into the next person’s ear all the way round the group and compare the original phrase to what was whispered). This game is the visual version of that: where you draw what you see, and guess what you saw. Since it is virtual, all the members will get to write a sentence. Then, each will receive one or more of these sentences to draw. After that, each will receive one or more drawings to describe. In then end you get to see how a sentence morphed in its journey through the participants. Here’s an example from the Gartic telephone game that my team played recently –
One of the drawings that made the rounds was similar to the one below-
It went out to 4 participants with all 4 guessing it as ‘Boy playing football / soccer’. The actual sentence was ‘Playing Football’. ‘Why did you all assume that it’s a boy?’, I piqued. ‘Why not just a child?’. One chimed, ‘If the stick figure had had hair on the head, then we’d have guessed a girl; otherwise we default to a boy’.
Though his explanation made sense to the bias I was calling out, it still wasn’t good enough. Many girls have short hair, some boys have long hair – the hair or lack of it shouldn’t be a deciding factor nor should any physical characteristic, right? The child could be non-binary for all we know but we are used to this heteronormative world where we only perceive binary concepts; see only in black and white, male and female, and heterosexuality, that we fail to realise that there are thousands of other colours in the spectrum.
A recent survey in my workplace revealed that 92% believe if a member of their team were to affirm their gender (begin openly identifying as a gender which is different from their sex recorded at birth), they would be fully supported by the team; 90% would be comfortable using they/their/them personal pronouns for a non-binary person at work; 99% would be comfortable with people of diverse sexuality and/or gender bringing their partners to work related events. Though the percentages look great, my question in this day and age is, who are those remaining few people who still fear the unknown? Who are those that make up the final percentages that refuse to accept that there are more than 2 genders, that homosexuality is not a choice, that fail to comprehend the challenges and experiences of a trans person? Why did we not hit 100% for every question? And I am talking about a workplace in Australia where LGBTQIA+ rights are far ahead of majority of the countries; where Mardi Gras is a festival with a float for the police and not a protest anymore (well, the dark police-homophobia history is out of scope for this post!) Imagine what the statistics would be in a country where these rights are non-existent? Imagine being queer in such countries when the whole thing has been made challenging and extremely difficult over the years.
This is just one example of unconscious bias. Though we think we are rational beings, we carry with us a million more biases, due to upbringing, mental conditioning, narrow mindedness etc. Many more such as colour of the skin, accent, gender, age, beauty, income, weight, policies, governance etc. These implicit ones can then manifest further and can become explicit biases. Explicit bias occurs when we become consciously aware of our prejudices and we get to choose whether to act on or against them. But biases are human nature, they exist in all of us. They dont make us good or bad people (I keep returning to the grey area!) because our brains have a tendency to look for patterns , associations, and shortcuts to navigate through the complexity around us. They just make us humans, the vulnerable humans we all are.
The next hurdle is that we can then pass on these biases onto the tech we build. How many of us, who dont speak English as our first language, have faced issues with Voice Assistants like Siri / Alexa / Google not understanding us? Because the tech bias is essentially lack of diversity in the dataset that they were trained on. Our biases get into the machines and like human bias, AI bias, when translated into decisions or actions, becomes discrimination. With the exponential use of Generative AI, these biases have an urgent need to get solved before we rely on the decisions they make for us. This VOX article has a deep dive on AI bias.
Nevertheless, I do think that there is hope. There are things everyone can do to overcome biases.
The first step is to identify and acknowledge. Once we are aware, we have the power to take action. We can listen to understand and not just to respond. We can listen to what a person is saying rather than who is saying that. We can embrace different shades of thinking, recognizing that there isn’t always a right or wrong answer, only a beautiful array of perspectives. We can challenge outdated rules, policies, and behaviours. We can avoid falling into the stereotype pit. And it all begins with awareness.
I am glad that the younger generations have a more inclusive curriculum and grow up understanding the importance of diversity. Primary school children learn that Australian history did not start when the first fleet landed helping us understand reconciliation. Preschoolers have picture books that speak about gay weddings helping us step away from the heteronormative mindset. So there is light ahead.
Simply put- What do we lose by making this world better place for all living beings?
P.S: Given this is not really an anecdotal post, I should have gotten ChatGPT / WordPress Change Tone to write it for me! Ok let’s do that now to compare how poorly I have written!!
ChatGPT Versions: (I left out the gartic telephone bits and yeah, it uses US spelling so my colours have become colors !)
Version 1 – Online Article style:
Title: Embracing Diversity: Breaking the Chains of Bias for an Inclusive Society
Introduction:
In today’s world, it’s essential to recognize that hair length, physical appearance, or any other characteristic should not be determining factors for someone’s identity. However, our society often falls into the trap of a heteronormative mindset, perceiving only the binary concepts of male and female, and heterosexuality. It’s high time we acknowledge the vast spectrum of identities and colors that exist beyond these limited perspectives.
The Progress and the Remaining Challenges:
Recent surveys conducted in workplaces reveal encouraging statistics, with a majority of respondents expressing support for gender affirmation, comfort in using non-binary pronouns, and acceptance of diverse sexualities and gender identities. Yet, we cannot ignore the remaining few who still fear the unknown and resist accepting the reality of more than two genders or the non-choice nature of homosexuality. These questions arise even in countries like Australia, where LGBTQIA+ rights have made significant progress. Consider the challenges faced by queer individuals in countries where these rights are virtually non-existent, and the struggle they endure on a daily basis.
Unconscious Bias and its Consequences:
Unconscious biases can lead to explicit biases when we become aware of our prejudices and choose whether to act on them. Biases are a natural part of being human, as our brains tend to seek patterns, associations, and shortcuts to navigate the complexities of the world. However, biases do not define us as good or bad individuals, as they often stem from our upbringing, mental conditioning, or narrow-mindedness. Biases can manifest in various forms, such as those related to skin color, accent, gender, age, beauty, income, weight, policies, governance, and more. Alarmingly, these biases can even seep into the technology we create.
Technology’s Role and AI Bias:
Technological advancements like voice assistants, such as Siri, Alexa, and Google, have at times struggled to understand individuals who do not speak English as their first language. This issue arises due to a lack of diversity in the datasets on which these technologies were trained, reflecting the bias present in society. Just like human bias, AI bias becomes discrimination when it influences the decisions and actions of artificial intelligence. With the increasing use of Generative AI, addressing biases has become an urgent priority to ensure the decisions made by AI systems are fair and unbiased.
Overcoming Biases:
While biases are deeply ingrained in human nature, there are steps we can take to overcome them. The first crucial step is to identify and acknowledge our biases. Once we are aware, we can actively take measures to counteract them. This includes listening to understand rather than merely responding, focusing on the content of a person’s message rather than their identity, embracing diverse perspectives, challenging outdated rules and behaviors, and avoiding falling into the trap of stereotypes. Awareness serves as the foundation for fostering change.
Hope for a More Inclusive Future:
Fortunately, there is hope for a more inclusive society. The younger generations are growing up with a curriculum that emphasizes the importance of diversity. They learn that Australian history did not begin with the first fleet and gain an understanding of reconciliation. Even preschoolers now have access to picture books that portray gay weddings, promoting acceptance and inclusivity from an early age. This progress indicates a brighter future lies ahead.
Conclusion: In conclusion, it is crucial for us to create a world that respects and values all living beings. By challenging biases, embracing diversity, and fostering inclusivity, we can make significant strides towards this goal. Let us remember that there is much to gain and nothing to lose by working together to build a better and more equitable society for all.
Version 2: Casual style:
Hey there, folks! Today, I wanna chat about something that really matters to me: embracing diversity and creating a world where everyone feels included. You know, a world where your hairstyle or physical appearance doesn’t define who you are. It’s time to break free from seeing things in black and white and start celebrating the amazing spectrum of identities and colors out there.
Recently, something awesome happened at my workplace. We conducted a survey, and guess what? An incredible 92% of my colleagues said they would fully support someone on our team who wants to affirm their gender, even if it’s different from what they were assigned at birth. How cool is that? Not only that, but 90% of them are totally comfortable using they/them pronouns for non-binary folks. And get this: a mind-blowing 99% said they’d be perfectly fine with people of diverse sexualities and gender identities bringing their partners to work events. Those numbers are pretty amazing, right?
But let’s pause for a moment. I can’t help but wonder about the remaining few who still fear the unknown. Who are these people who struggle to accept that there’s more to gender than just male and female? Or that being gay isn’t a choice? It makes me think about the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals in countries where their rights are practically non-existent. Man, it must be tough.
Here’s the deal: biases exist in all of us. It’s just part of being human. Our brains naturally seek patterns and shortcuts to navigate the world. But biases don’t make us good or bad people. They come from our upbringing, conditioning, and narrow-mindedness. The problem arises when we let those biases drive our actions, leading to discrimination. Biases can show up in so many ways, like judging someone based on their skin color, accent, gender, age, beauty, income, weight, or even political beliefs. And here’s the kicker: those biases can creep into the technology we create too. Ever had trouble with Siri or Alexa understanding you because of your accent? That’s a tech bias right there.
But don’t worry, my friends. We can overcome these biases. It starts with being aware of them. When we acknowledge our biases, we gain the power to make a change. We can choose to listen, not just to respond, but to truly understand others. We can embrace different perspectives, knowing that life isn’t just about right and wrong. It’s about all the beautiful shades in between. Seeking out diverse viewpoints, challenging old-fashioned rules, and ditching stereotypes are steps we can take.
And here’s some good news: the younger generations are leading the way. They’re growing up with a more inclusive education that teaches them about the importance of diversity. They’re learning that history is more than just the first fleet and are exposed to ideas like reconciliation. Heck, even preschoolers are reading picture books that show gay weddings. It warms my heart to see progress like that.
So, my friends, let’s come together and make this world a better place for everyone. Embrace diversity, challenge your biases, and remember that we’re all in this crazy adventure called life together.
Drain Bamaged!! 
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