Meet Jie Liang Lin | AI Ethics Researcher & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jie Liang Lin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jie Liang, is there something you believe many others might not?
I disagree that hustling 24/7 at 120% is the best way to found a company. I have never made the most strategic decision, had the most creative idea, nor spoken the most convincingly when I’m burnt out. There has never been a time when it was worth it to risk my health to deliver a project. Nor, is it true, when looking back at different experiences, that burnout was inevitable, no matter how “big” or important the project seemed at the time. It’s rather that the start-up ecosystem espouses chronic burnout as the de-facto modus operandi and formula for success. Certainly, there are times when founders need to pull out all stops, but not everyday as conventional wisdom would have it. I also find that such conventional wisdom is vetted in traditional values; The best case scenario would be that founders don’t need to do their own cooking and laundry, and would rather work for another hour or two than go to the gym. My hope is that younger founders, especially women, can formulate a healthier language and mindset around founding. I hope that in the future the ecosystem will place more emphasis on coaching startups to be more strategic, efficient and sustainable. Also, I wish that there will be more support and regard for the wellness of founders. I believe that responsible innovation and societal well-being depends on it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m building a consultancy and start-up for managing AI bias. AI bias is a complex and wicked problem and often based in systemic inequalities. Establishing a global framework for responsible AI is one of the most urgent problems our time. Such a problem requires experts from different fields to align under core principles and to develop a common language and tools for collaboration. As a social scientist, I’m prioritizing on-the-ground research and the lived realities of diverse communities in my solution.

I’m proud to have finished a pilot project for the EU. Founding an impact start-up is not easy, and because of the immense challenges that our global faces today, there is an even greater psychological burden placed on impact founders to succeed. Teaming up with to interdisciplinary experts, who have a differing perspectives on the problem eases the burden. Communicating insights in a way that different stakeholders can understand, and discussing joint strategies is the only way to move forward.

Becoming a founder has helped me to hone my instincts and to be brutally honest with myself. I want businesses to take initiative to balance innovation with responsibility. I’m most excited about creating a tool that will benefit communities and bring about fairer representation in tech.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Berlin is a poly-centric city, and there’s always lots to do! Picnic or grill at Tempelhofer Feld. Go to Han West/Neulich for dumplings and drinks. Check out arts and music events at Donau, KW, HKW and Silent Green Kulturquartier. If you’re a startup founder check out events at Merantix AI Campus and Impact Hub Berlin.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my friends, family and collaborators for supporting the journey: Alvaro, Awais, Ben, Cinzia, Cristian, Dusan, Gullsher, Hank, Hubert, Jan, K, Kate, Marie, Melody, Nathan, Olivia, Rishi, Valentin, Violette, Wendy.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jie-liang-lin/

Image Credits
portrait image credit: Hendrik Werner
additional photo image credit: Olivia Dumnicka