Interviewing Elisa Tosello, postdoc researcher in Artificial Intelligence Planning and Reasoning at the Embedded Systems unit in Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)
AI-PRISM is a strong consortium of 25 entities plus an affiliate. It represents all EU smart manufacturing value chains and has the key competencies to develop the ecosystem that will make manufacturing workers’ lives easier and healthier with cobots.
Today, we are meeting Elisa Tosello, postdoc researcher in Artificial Intelligence Planning and Reasoning at the Embedded Systems unit in Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). Elisa focuses on Task and Motion planning for cognitive robots equipped with an artificial cloud-based knowledge base. She is part of the 22% of women working in the field of Artificial Intelligence worldwide.
Find below what she has told us about her experience and profession as a woman working in this cutting-edge field.
Hello Elisa Tosello. We are happy to meet you and commemorate the International Day of women in Technology and science.
What is your role at AI-PRISM?
Hi, and thank you for this invitation.
Well, my name is Elisa Tosello, and I am a postdoc researcher in Artificial Intelligence Planning and Reasoning at the Embedded Systems unit in Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Trento, Italy. My research especially focuses on Task and Motion Planning for robots.
In AI-PRISM, together with my colleagues and other partners of the consortium, we are trying to develop an intelligent human-robot collaborative system equipped with a Task Planning routine able to reason about the workspace and involve agents, act, and adapt.
Why did you decide to study Computer Engineering and continue in robotics?
When I was a child, I was attracted by the desire to discover and explore, invent solutions, and build things. So, when I was older, I first chose to study Computer Engineering; then, I did a Ph.D. in robotics.
Such an amazing journey lets me become a researcher – that person who discovers – in a field where innovation may improve the quality of our lives!
And what is the most common misconception about women working in this field?
A lack of role models, obsolete cultures, and persistent stereotypes about women’s intellectual abilities and social roles suggest that women are not interested in STEM or cannot succeed in science.
We need to spread the idea that anyone – woman or man – can pursue the professional career she/he most desires. Along the way, we may face obstacles, and sometimes it will be hard to find a good work-life balance. Those moments will need all our self-motivation and hard work but will be overcome and let us grow professionally and individually.
How can we attract more women to work in science and Technology?
We will be able to attract more women to work in Science and Technology only by divulgating there is no gender difference in skills and abilities. The only thing that makes the difference is our attitude.
Families must take the first step, educating children about intellectual freedom. Schools at every level must continue this hard job by enhancing student abilities and giving them the tools they need to autonomously figure out which professional career to take.
Finally, every company has to improve itself to undo the gender gap. Fortunately, more and more realities are already working in these terms. We all must continue to be active participants in this change until we will no longer need to talk about women and men doing science but about human beings who followed their dreams and became what they wanted to be.