KrushiN1: new entry

2026-03-12T02:30:50Z

new entry

New page

{{short description|Indian entrepreneur (born 1991)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ritika Dutt
| image = Ritika Dutt.jpg
| birth_place = India
| alma_mater = [[McGill University]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| known_for = Co-founder and CEO of [[Botler AI]]
| awards = [[Forbes 30 Under 30]] - Law & Policy
}}

'''Ritika Dutt''' is a Canadian [[entrepreneur]]. She is the CEO and co-founder of the legal [[artificial intelligence]] company [[Botler AI]]. In December 2019, Dutt was named as the only Canadian in the [[Forbes]]' [[Forbes 30 Under 30|30 Under 30]] 2020 [[Law]] and [[Policy]] List.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5ddd7cb0ea103f0006537307/ritika-dutt-28/#67b9595548fb|title = Ritika Dutt, 28| website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Dutt was born in [[India]], spent her childhood in [[Hong Kong]] and her teenage years in [[Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B1kNJVjHX4b/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B1kNJVjHX4b |archive-date=2021-12-26 |url-access=registration|title=*Ritika on Instagram: "I was born in India, spent my childhood in Hong Kong & my teenage years in Singapore. 10 years ago today, I set foot in Canada for the…"|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2019-08-24}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2009, she moved to [[Montreal|Montréal]], [[Canada]] to attend [[McGill University]] and graduated with a bachelor's degree in [[Economics]] and [[Political science|Political Science]] in 2013.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/s/1762/news/interior.aspx?gid=2&pgid=1868|title=Applying AI to the #MeToo landscape|website=mcgillnews.mcgill.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-01-30}}</ref>

== Early career ==
After graduating from McGill, Dutt headed the marketing department of a [[Y Combinator]] startup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startupfestival.com/speaker/ritika-dutt/|title=Ritika Dutt|website=Startupfest|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref> She then took over the internal operations of [[Notman House]], Montreal's [[Google for Entrepreneurs]] tech hub, where she fostered the local [[Startup company|startup]] community by supporting and promoting innovative ventures and initiatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.montreal.tv/2016/09/soiree-startup-et-croissance-a-montreal/|title=Soirée Startup et Croissance à Montréal|last=Montreal.TV|website=Montreal.TV|language=fr-FR|access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://emerj.com/ai-market-research/the-state-of-ai-in-montreal/|title=The State of AI in Montreal – Startups, Investment, and What it Means for the City|last=Faggella|first=Daniel|website=Emerj|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-11}}</ref>

Using her background in economics and [[innovation]], Dutt then co-founded Botler AI in 2017 to enhance accessibility to the [[Law|legal system]], through [[artificial intelligence]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@startupfest/cutting-through-the-legal-jargon-ritika-dutt-on-how-ai-can-help-navigate-the-system-17ce56b0134c|title=Cutting through the legal jargon — Ritika Dutt on how AI can help navigate the system|last=Startupfest|date=2018-07-06|website=Medium|access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref>

== Experience with workplace sexual harassment ==
Prior to co-founding Botler, Dutt found herself faced with a stalker during a terrifying, months-long ordeal.<ref name=":1" /> The man showed up at her workplace everyday, stalked her on social media to learn of her location, and even followed her to her home.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-new-technology-aims-to-give-victims-of-sexual-violence-a-more-positive/|title=New technology aims to give victims of sexual violence a more positive reporting experience|access-date=2018-10-30}}</ref> Though fearful, Dutt found herself making excuses thinking "It’s all in my head" or "I don't know if something is really wrong or if I'm too sensitive".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://siecledigital.fr/2017/12/07/ia-aider-victimes-harcelement-sexuel/|title=Une IA pour aider les victimes de harcèlement sexuel|date=2017-12-07|website=Siècle Digital|language=fr-FR|access-date=2018-03-19}}</ref> She didn't know what her rights were, what she should do, or if the man's actions were illegal.<ref name=":0" /> The experience left her feeling trapped and Dutt struggled to call it what it was: [[stalking]], or [[criminal harassment]] in [[Canadian law]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/f/609694/victims-of-sexual-harassment-have-a-new-resource-ai/|title=Victims of Sexual Harassment Have a New Resource: AI|website=MIT Technology Review|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-12}}</ref>

Months later, after the [[Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations]] and ensuing spread of the [[Me Too movement|#MeToo movement]], Dutt started researching the relevant legal codes and learned what had happened to her was a crime.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aitrends.com/ai-in-canada/montreal-toronto-ai-startups-have-wide-range-of-focus/|title=Montreal-Toronto AI Startups Have Wide Range of Focus|last=Desmond|first=John|date=2018-07-26|website=AI Trends|language=en|access-date=2018-08-21|archive-date=2021-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723141045/https://www.aitrends.com/ai-in-canada/montreal-toronto-ai-startups-have-wide-range-of-focus/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She gained confidence from learning there was a legal basis to what she had felt and that she had been justified with her discomfort.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/12/06/botler-ai-launches-sexual-harassment-detection-bot-for-u-s-and-canada/|title=Botler.ai launches sexual harassment detection bot for U.S. and Canada|date=2017-12-06|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}}</ref>

Dutt realized that [[sexual harassment]] was a far bigger issue than imagined and found herself angered thinking “How many people think they can do this and get away with it?".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2018/01/05/sexual-harassment-inc-how-the-metoo-movement-is-sparking-a-wave-of-startups/|title=Sexual Harassment Inc: How the #MeToo movement is sparking a wave of start-ups|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2018-10-30}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

== Botler AI ==
In December 2017, motivated to take action by her personal experiences, Dutt led Botler AI to launch a free tool to help survivors of sexual harassment determine whether their rights had been violated.<ref name=":3" /> The tool was aimed as an impartial resource to empower the average person through information and education, without fear of judgment.<ref name=":2" />

Dutt's premise was that, unlike humans, a robot has no prejudice of race, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic background, would never ask “What were you wearing?” or “How many drinks did you have?”, and therefore provided an emotion- and judgement-free neutral tool to complainants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dig.watch/updates/technology-gives-victims-new-reporting-options|title=Technology gives victims new reporting options|date=2018-03-20|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1071103/un-avocat-robot-pour-aider-les-victimes-dagressions-sexuelles|title=Un " avocat robot " pour aider les victimes d'agressions sexuelles|last=ICI.Radio-Canada.ca|first=Zone Techno-|website=Radio-Canada.ca|language=fr-ca|access-date=2019-06-13}}</ref> The [[Artificial intelligence|Artificial Intelligence]] system, which also used [[deep learning]], was trained using over 300,000 court documents from Canada and the [[United States]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.montrealintechnology.com/botler-ai-brings-legal-advice-to-sexual-harassment-victims/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221174249/http://www.montrealintechnology.com/botler-ai-brings-legal-advice-to-sexual-harassment-victims/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 21, 2018|title=Botler.ai brings justice to sexual harassment victims|last=Mason|first=Quinn|date=2017-12-06|website=Montreal in Technology|language=en-CA|access-date=2018-09-18}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> [[Natural language processing]] was used to determine whether an incident described by the user could be classified as sexual harassment.

The user was provided with a summary of the relevant legal codes, based on their jurisdiction, and a detailed report of the incident which could be handed over to the relevant authorities, from HR to the police, if desired.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/botler-ai-tool-sexual-harassment-law-1.4439005|title=How a Montreal-made online tool helps sexual harassment victims navigate the legal system|date=2017-12-27|work=CBC|access-date=2018-01-30}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" /> The goal was not to let the user know whether they could win a case in court, but rather to empower them with confidence grounded in legal doctrine.<ref name=":4" /> Dutt stressed, “Once people have the information then it’s up to them what they want to do with it... maybe they feel comfortable to approach somebody like HR…or maybe it makes them feel better that it’s not just in my head, and I have the right to stand up to my abuser because I have rights in this situation.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://betakit.com/botler-ais-new-chatbot-analyzed-300000-court-documents-to-help-sexual-harassment-and-assault-survivors/|title=Botler.AI's new chatbot analyzed 300,000 court documents to help sexual harassment and assault survivors|date=2017-12-06|website=BetaKit|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref>

Dutt also commented “This is just the first step” and revealed plans to expand Botler to connect users with resources appropriate with their situation, including legal representation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techvibes.com/2017/12/06/botler-ai-uses-deep-learning-to-empower-sexual-harassment-victims|title=Botler AI Uses Deep Learning to Empower Sexual Harassment Victims|website=Techvibes|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":5" />

== See also ==

* [[Yoshua Bengio]]
*[[List of McGill University people|List of notable McGill University alumni]]
* [[Mila (research institute)|Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA)]]

== References ==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutt, Ritika}}
[[Category:1991 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian technology company founders]]
[[Category:McGill University alumni]]

Ritika Dutt - Revision history

KrushiN1: new entry