GenAI is growing exponentially, every day. Yet the statement that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg would not be very far-fetched. While the world continues to try and glimpse below the surface, to surmise breadth and depth of the iceberg, we wanted to stop for a minute and celebrate the emergence of diversity and inclusion in the world of GenAI.
Approximately 22% of AI talent in the world are Women as per a 2024 Forbes article.
As per Statista, a global business and data intelligence platform, as of 2023 women made up approximately 27% of the world’s developer population. So, the ratio of women in AI shouldn’t be a problem when it is more or less in sync with the global developer data, right? Wrong. The increasing love and penetration of GenAI across industries and services, underscores the importance of fostering diversity within the field to ensure that GenAI is accurate and unbiased. Therefore, the 22% women who are already working in this field can justly be referred to as trailblazers. What is even more interesting is that some of the leading women in the world of AI are also leading voices in advocating for ethical AI and diversity.
While Ada Lovelace probably helped lay the foundations of AI and technology way back in the 19th century by envisioning that machines could someday manipulate symbols and create art, in more recent times Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a professor at Stanford University and winner of the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, is a prominent figure in AI, particularly in computer vision. She is a strong advocate for ethical AI and she co-founded AI4ALL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in AI education, research, development, and policy.
Dr. Joy Buolamwini, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab uncovered significant biases in facial recognition systems particularly against women and people of colour. Since then, her work has become pivotal in highlighting the need for fairness and inclusivity in AI technologies. Dr. Buolamwini founded the Algorithmic Justice League to raise awareness and develop practices for equitable and accountable AI. In 2019, partnering with the Algorithmic Justice League was Inioluwa Deborah Raji who later went on to work with Google’s ethical AI team to develop “model cards” enhancing transparency in machine learning models. In 2021 she became a Mozilla Fellow, focusing on algorithmic auditing and evaluation to promote accountability in AI systems.
Joelle Pineau, Vice President of AI research at Meta, began her career with addressing bias in Ai during her studies. Today she leads a team developing groundbreaking AI technologies, while she continues to highlight the need to address societal questions related to AI’s development and regulation. She has been a leading voice emphasizing open science and creating inclusive environments for women in tech.
Dr. Timnit Gebru, co-authored a seminal paper that demonstrated significantly higher error rates for darker skinned people and female facial structures in commercial facial recognition systems. While working for tech giant Google, she raised concerns about the ethical implications of large language models and advocated for increased diversity within AI. In 2021 she founded the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR), focusing on community-rooted AI research to counteract biases and promote inclusivity.
Dr. Rumman Chowdhury was the Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture, developing frameworks to ensure ethical AI deployment across industries. In 2022, she founded Parity AI, a company dedicated to providing tools and frameworks for responsible AI development and deployment. Her work has been instrumental in guiding organizations toward ethical AI practices, and has influenced industry standards.
While these influencers in AI development continue to fight the good fight, to keep AI development balanced, the reality is that there is a need for increased diversity in AI because AI is everywhere and it is here to stay. There are some initiatives which are focused on ensuring that education specific to GenAI becomes accessible to the next generation of women, making it possible for them to join this field.
In the USA, the number of female graduates in the field of Computer Science and Information Technology has doubled between 1980 and 2024.
Dr. Li’s AI4ALL offers summer programs, mentorship, and resources to high school students, focusing on AI education and research. The initiative has successfully introduced numerous students from diverse backgrounds to AI.
Dr. Gebru’s Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR) creates a space for independent, community-rooted AI research free from Big Tech's pervasive influence. DAIR focuses on participatory AI research that centers marginalized communities, aiming to make AI more inclusive and equitable. This approach empowers the next generation by providing educational resources and research opportunities that are community-centric.
The Women in Artificial Intelligence Global Network was started by the Tofara Online Trust in 2024 to promote gender diversity and inclusion within the AI field by providing a platform for women to engage, collaborate, and excel. The network offers mentorship programs, workshops, and resources tailored for women in AI, aiming to challenge gender stereotypes and inspire more and more women to join the AI workforce.
The Inclusive AI Foundation is committed to elevating women in AI through education, scholarships, and partnerships with educational institutions to foster diversity and excellence. They are enabling many women to pursue AI education and careers, who will contribute to a more diverse AI workforce.
The possibilities of where the human race could go with GenAI are endless. The part of the iceberg that is not clearly visible today will definitely show itself in time. The beauty lies in the fact that this iceberg can be moulded to be balanced, equitable, fair and unbiased. While there is excitement for what the future brings, the fact that diversity and inclusion is being thought about and planned for, is the smartest move that the AI industry has made.
