AI on Maternity Leave

AI on Maternity Leave is a pilot workshop for women on maternity leave, running on Tuesday 7 July at Plus X Innovation in Brighton (BN2 4GL). It's designed for mums from any industry and any level of prior tech knowledge who want to get a handle on AI tools and start building with them. The session runs from 11:00 to 12:45, and the whole thing is built around the idea of closing the gender gap in AI.

It's not a lecture or a masterclass where you just sit and listen. It's a hands-on two-hour session where you'll set up your own AI assistant on your phone, learn how to use AI safely and critically, and get a sense of where the technology is heading. The founder, Katie Rose, puts the motivation behind it plainly: "The motherhood penalty means mums arguably stand to gain the most from AI’s speed, efficiency and flexibility, yet women who use it are too often perceived as cutting corners or simply not up to the job."

On the teaching side, the confirmed speakers are Amber Foster from Human Superpowers and Zoe from We Are Auntie CiC. They're working with women on maternity leave across all sorts of backgrounds, so you don't need to be coming from a tech role to fit in. The atmosphere is meant to be welcoming rather than formal, and the organisers have made it clear that babies are very much part of the plan: it's B-Y-O-B, noise is expected and welcome, and you can pop in and out to take care of your baby whenever you need to. There's coffee and snacks provided, and a cafe on-site if you want to hang around and chat afterwards. For parking, the suggestion is Aldi, Hobbycraft or B&Q nearby. There's also a firm "no tech bros" policy in place.

Tickets are £8, and the session runs from 11:00 to 12:45 on Tuesday 7 July at Plus X Innovation, BN2 4GL. It's currently sold out, but there's a waiting list you can join if you're still keen.