BIA do Bradesco is recognized in a UNESCO study to combat gender harassment

On International Women’s Day, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), and the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) launched a report on the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on women’s professional lives. In the document, Bradesco appears as a reference in the responsible use of BIA, its Artificial Intelligence assistant, in the fight against gender harassment, encouraging women to unite to do the same.

Like other chatbots that have been impersonated as female, BIA has been the target of harassment. In 2020 alone, she received more than 90,000 insults and sexual harassment messages. Even if you are not a real woman, this scenario reveals women’s daily challenges. In 2021, the bank announced support for UNESCO’s “Hey Update My Voice” initiative by updating the virtual assistant’s responses to help redefine views on gender.

Together with the United Nations, it launched a pioneering campaign in Brazil to combat violence and gender prejudice situations. The communication aimed to raise public awareness and collaborate to build a more egalitarian society, with respect for and improvement of women’s living and working conditions. The results reflect the legitimacy of this effort, with more than 1.5 million clicks and 115 million people reached. Broadcast on national television, the film registered more than 194 million views in the digital environment, becoming the most-watched YouTube commercial in the country in 2021.