On March 6, 2025, the Melbourne Quarter hosted the pivotal event ‘Role of Women in Ethical AI‘, coinciding with International Women’s Day. This thought-provoking gathering underscored the critical role women play in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI). The evening featured insightful discussions on ethical AI, bias, and the significance of diversity, offering actionable takeaways for professionals navigating the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Key Themes and Learnings from the Event

The Power of Soft Skills and Mentorship

Vineti Anand opened the event, emphasizing the importance of soft skills, mentorship, and emotional intelligence in professional development, particularly for multicultural individuals. She highlighted the challenges many encounter when adapting to new environments, including building personal brands and networking effectively. Vineti announced the launch of a mentorship program designed to connect professionals with experienced mentors, guiding them through their career journeys. She advocated for emotional intelligence assessments to foster deeper workplace connections, urging attendees to shape the platform’s annual program calendar to address their specific needs.

Addressing Bias in AI Systems

Sharbani Dhar, a passionate advocate for responsible technology adoption, spoke compellingly about the inherent biases in AI systems. Using relatable examples, such as a humorous cooking mishap involving her husband, she illustrated how AI can falter without diverse datasets. Sharbani pointed out that AI often reflects the biases embedded in its training data, resulting in unfair outcomes across fields like hiring, healthcare, and disaster management. Emphasising that AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace them, she introduced three ethical pillars—justice, transparency, and dignity—as foundational elements for creating fair and explainable AI systems.

Unpacking Data Bias

Dr. Catherine Lopes, a distinguished AI and data analytics leader with over 25 years of experience across financial services, utilities, and media, explored the technical aspects of data bias, distinguishing between “dirty data” (incomplete or inaccurate) and “biased data” (skewed to favor certain groups). With a strong background in AI governance, enterprise data strategy, and ethical AI, she highlighted the systemic issues in data collection and the crucial role of human oversight in AI development.
Dr. Lopes emphasized that AI models must be designed with the end user in mind, ensuring they account for diverse contexts and demographics. For instance, a model designed for Asian women should consider different age groups, life stages, and cultural nuances. As the founder of Ada’s Tribe, a community empowering women in AI, she actively advocates for gender diversity in the field. She encouraged women to educate themselves about AI, take an active role in its development, and challenge biases in data and models. Her message was clear: women have a critical role in shaping the future of AI, and their voices are essential in creating ethical, inclusive systems.

The Need for Diversity in AI Development
Ashok Mysore, with over 32 years of industry experience, discussed the necessity of diversity in AI development and the need for accountability when things go wrong. He shared examples of how biased data can lead to unfair outcomes in sectors like finance and healthcare, such as credit rating systems disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Ashok stressed the importance of diverse datasets to avoid “algorithmic monoculture” where biases are amplified across industries. He called for clearer accountability frameworks, urging organizations to take responsibility for AI system failures. Additionally, Ashok highlighted the global imbalance in AI development, advocating for a more equitable distribution of AI capabilities worldwide.

Panel Discussion Insights 

The panel discussion, featuring Catherine Lopes, Ashok Mysore, and Sharbani Dhar, focused on the barriers women face in the AI industry and how they can contribute to ethical AI development. The panelists highlighted unique strengths women bring to the table, such as empathy, multitasking abilities, and a holistic approach to problem-solving. They encouraged women to actively challenge biases in AI systems by questioning data, models, and outcomes, urging them to seek opportunities to influence AI development within their organizations. The importance of role models and allies in supporting women in tech was emphasised, with panelists calling on women to support each other and advocate for diversity in AI development.

The event concluded with a powerful reminder that the future of AI is not just about technology – it’s about the choices we make as a society. The speakers collectively urged the audience to focus on human-centric values such as empathy, creativity, and community when developing AI systems. They emphasized that AI should enhance human capabilities, not replace them, and that continuous learning and adaptability are key to staying relevant in an AI-driven world. The event was a call to action for everyone, regardless of their role, to contribute to the ethical development of AI and ensure it benefits all of humanity.

In summary, the “Role of Women in Ethical AI” event was a compelling exploration of the challenges and opportunities in AI development. It underscored the importance of diversity, empathy, and accountability in creating systems that are fair, inclusive, and human-centered. As professionals, we all have a role to play in shaping the future of AI, and this event served as a timely reminder of the responsibility we bear in ensuring that technology serves the greater good. Let’s continue to advocate for ethical AI and work together to build a future that reflects our shared values.

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