Women in AI: What if the future of AI was written by women?

AI is molding the future, but are we shortchanging its potential by overlooking alternative perspectives? While they still face barriers to leadership, capital, and the decision-making process, women have been instrumental in the advancement of AI, from its ethical creation to its pioneering uses in healthcare and finance. This impedes AI's entire potential rather than being an issue of inclusion.

The results are self-explanatory when women are permitted to drive in AI: companies with female-majority leadership are 25% more lucrative, and diverse groups make decisions that are 87% more effective. Yet, many innovative ideas never reach the starting line, with less than 3% of venture capital investment going to women-run AI companies.

The first step in making AI more intelligent, fairer, and more powerful is to invest in the women who will shape its creation.

Women-Led AI Ventures Changing the World

Despite funding disparities, women-led AI ventures are actively solving real-world problems and reshaping industries.

• Daphne Koller – Insitro (AI in Drug Discovery) Daphne Koller, co-founder of Coursera, is now leading Insitro, an AI-driven biotech company revolutionizing drug discovery. By using machine learning models to predict how drugs will interact with the human body, Insitro is accelerating medical breakthroughs and reducing the time it takes to develop life-saving treatments.
• Dr. Rana el Kaliouby – Affectiva (AI in Emotional Intelligence) Dr. Rana el Kaliouby co-founded Affectiva, a pioneer in AI-driven emotion recognition. By analyzing facial expressions and vocal cues, Affectiva’s technology is being used in mental health, automotive safety (detecting drowsy drivers), and even customer experience research. Her work has set new ethical standards for how AI should interpret human emotions responsibly.
• Timnit Gebru – Distributed AI Research Institute (AI Ethics & Accountability) Timnit Gebru, a former AI researcher at Google, co-founded the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) to focus on ethical AI development. After exposing racial biases in large-scale AI models, Gebru’s work is holding tech giants accountable and advocating for transparency in AI governance.

Besides shattering glass ceilings, these women are laying the groundwork for a more welcoming AI ecosystem that will benefit all.

The Case for Investing in Women’s AI Leadership

What is the reason for companies, investors, and legislators to actively encourage women in AI?

The answer is crystal:

Better AI is inclusive AI.

• Ethical AI & Risk Management – Women-led AI projects put accountability, transparency, and equity first, which helps to lessen algorithmic biases and improve AI safety.
• Financial Growth & Competitive Edge – Studies repeatedly prove that gender-diverse leadership results in improved decision-making, increased revenue, and more robust innovation.
• Solving Real-World Problems – To ensure that AI benefits people rather than just businesses, women-led AI startups are leading the way in developments in healthcare, cybersecurity, financial security, and climate change solutions, among infinite other.

Let’s Turn Inspiration into Action

AI's future depends on who develops, finances, and steers it, not just on the technology. Though the field is still a long way from achieving genuine inclusivity, women in AI are already demonstrating that diversity fosters innovation.?

Acknowledging their contributions is only the beginning. What will propel advancement in AI is supporting, encouraging, and investing in women.

What are your options for today? Encourage fair funding, support female-led AI startups, and elevate the voices of women in technology. Let's build an inclusive, intelligent, and AI-powered future.?

Wishing all the Women out there a very Happy Women’s Day!