Ahead of International Women’s Day this weekend, senior reporter Silvia Iacovcich speaks to a group of women leading the way in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). They shared the hurdles they have faced, their career highlights, and how the AI landscape is evolving to become more inclusive and diverse.

Alice Piterova, AI and product leader at Ustwo
Her Motto: Problem-solve with empathy

Alice Piterova, an AI and product specialist at digital product studio Ustwo, tells National Technology News that she believes in harnessing AI to address real-world challenges.

“Don’t waste time building AI for AI’s sake,” she advises women starting a career in the field. “AI is a powerful tool, but its true value lies in how we apply it to solve meaningful problems.”
Starting her career in the field in 2011, she first approached AI from a regulatory perspective, navigating the complexities of data and policy.

She later joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence (APPG AI) , a group set up by MPs and Members of the House of Lords in 2016 aimed at exploring the impact and implications on AI, where Piterova further deepened her understanding of its societal effects. “That work contributed to shaping the National AI Strategy and helped drive the creation of the UK Office for AI,” she recalls.

Since then, Piterova has focused on integrating ethical and responsible AI into industry design, working at several firms including AI for Good UK, Hazy, DeepTech Labs, and Techfugees, where she has worked on AI-driven privacy and synthetic data solutions, as well as AI products aimed at humanitarian and social impact.

From tackling domestic abuse and improving mental and reproductive health to fighting COVID-19 in refugee camps and addressing climate misinformation, she has applied AI to a broad range of pressing global issues.

She is currently at Ustwo, a full-cycle product design studio that helps large companies develop complex AI solutions with long-term social impact.
“Don’t be afraid to take up space,” she urges women. “Tech, and AI in particular, can still be male-dominated, but diverse perspectives are essential for building ethical and effective solutions.”

Piterova emphasises the importance of mentors, allies, and networks that support women, trans, and non-binary individuals in tech, highlighting them as invaluable resources for navigating challenges and unlocking opportunities, especially for those without prior tech experience.

She envisions a future where structural changes, such as unbiased hiring processes, equitable access to career growth and entrepreneurship opportunities, and better parental leave policies for both parents, become the norm.

Technology itself should also serve as a tool for driving change within diverse communities, she says, stressing the need for AI to be developed by diverse teams, using ethical design and data practices, and tested in a sandbox environment before scaling, but always ensuring human oversight. “AI can help identify biases in hiring and gender pay gaps, but if not designed responsibly, it can also reinforce the very discrimination it aims to address,” she warns.

Despite her optimism, Piterova acknowledges there are still ongoing challenges in the field, particularly in education, funding, and representation at senior levels for women, trans, and non-binary professionals. “I’m not entirely confident that non-male leaders in AI are always taken seriously,” she admits.

“We all remember the viral meme portraying Mira Muratti as incompetent when asked about Sora’s training data,” she says, pointing out how such incidents still show deeper biases that still need to be tackled. “I hope to see less of that and more respect and empathy for non-male leaders.”

Asma Houissa Ben Amor, AI/Gen AI product owner, Orange
Her motto: Never give up

Asma Ben Amor, an AI product owner at telecommunications firm Orange, began her career in AI during her university years after an end-of-study internship. There, she discovered her passion for cutting-edge technologies while working on a project focused on user research and software agents on the web with an AI-oriented approach.

“What attracted me was AI’s potential to solve complex problems and transform industries,” she recalls. “After that experience, my doctorate, focused on smart city development, allowed me to explore the integration and testing of a new algorithmic approach to parking assistance in urban centres.”

“This gave me the opportunity to delve deeper into the field and see its real-world impact.”
Ben Amor believes that gender inequality can be overcome when women genuinely support each other. “With women still largely underrepresented in science and engineering, it is essential to celebrate those who break barriers and support them in pursuing their passion for science,” she says.

She actively promotes this vision through her personal initiatives. In particular, she participates in a monthly AI awareness session for middle school girls in France, organised by ElleStime, a French non-profit advocating for a gender-balanced digital future.

The programme aims to introduce young girls to the opportunities and challenges in technology, particularly AI, to encourage them to consider careers in the field.

Currently, the group is working on a science and maths awareness day for 13,628 middle school students in the French region of Franche-Comté to combat biases and stereotypes about scientific subjects, which often begin forming at the very early age of seven, the non-profit organisations said on LinkedIn.

“The best advice I can give to young women starting their careers in tech is to find a strong female mentor, someone who can offer advice tailored to their career stage and be a supportive listener when they inevitably face challenges at work,” Ben Amor says.
For women entering the industry, she emphasises perseverance, ambition, and continuous learning.

“Build a strong determination to grow, learn from every experience, and aim higher and higher to reach your full potential,” she says. “I firmly believe that one should never give up, no matter the obstacles.”

Dora Jean Gillespie, chief executive and founder, Starilum
Her motto: Empower the future with star-powered intelligence and limitless innovation

Dora Jean Gillespie believes that technology should make things easier and that it is destined to become a successful tool in the hands of people who know how to use it to innovate.

As an award winning conceptual photographic designer, the creative AI specialist tells National Technology News her journey into AI was more of a response to change, rather than a calculated move.

“I had spent years perfecting my skills and each image took weeks even months to perfect,” she explains. “Then generative AI arrived, and suddenly, what once took days could be done in minutes.” At first, the switch made her question the implications of using AI as a visual artist. “I feared this the end of valued creative artwork,” she admits.

But instead of using AI as a tool to replace creativity, she decided to implement it to speed up production, increase productivity, boost income, expand reach and strategise.
“I started integrate AI in my daily work while creating album artwork and videos for a legacy music studio in London, to research and analyse industry reports, review client data to refine promotional strategies, and generate high-impact visuals faster than ever before,” she recalls.

The real turning point came at the Tech Ireland AI Hackathon in 2023, where she pitched an idea remotely to a panel of AI specialists, stepping into a world that wasn’t her own. Her vision resonated with the panel. “A team of strangers came together, and in just one week, we built a prototype that could transform music catalogues into promotional visuals instantly,” she says.

That idea pivoted and became her company Starilum. “We won the Dublin AI Hackathon at the Guinness Enterprise Centre and went on to place second in the national final, competing against teams with years of AI experience,” she says.

Gillespie says that Starilum is built on the belief that AI should empower creativity, not replace it. “Today, we use AI to help SME music labels and legacy catalogue owners’ market smarter, increase revenue, and engage audiences faster than ever before,” she continues.
“We believe it allows businesses to move faster, work smarter, and focus on what truly matters when used for good.”

Drawing from her own experience, Gillespie advises women not to be intimidated by the tech world. “AI is not just for programmers, the future of AI will be led by people who understand how to apply it,” she says.

Furthermore, she believes that women should jump into the AI sea without necessarily having learned to swim. “Start before you feel ready,” she says. “As we know AI is evolving so fast that no one has all the answers, and the best way to keep up is to jump in.”

She continues: “Experiment with AI tools, get hands-on experience if you can, even better try and yourself a mentor, and be open to where the technology takes you, some of the most exciting breakthroughs come from people who step outside their comfort zones.”

For women, the conversation around gender equality in tech has moved forward, through more visibility, more female founders and a growing number of networks and initiatives supporting women in AI, Gillespie says. But while progress is happening, the biggest challenge remains access to funding.

“Women-led startups consistently outperform their male-led counterparts in terms of return on investment, yet they receive only a small fraction of global venture capital,” she explains.
The issue, according to Gillespie, certainly doesn’t revolve around ambition or innovation; it’s how risk is assessed and how capital is allocated.

“Women are still asked different questions in investment meetings, and many industries remain dominated by decision-makers who unconsciously favour the status quo,” she points out.

To drive real change, explains Gillespie, the landscape needs more women in investment and decision-making roles. “The industry is evolving, and the businesses leading the next wave of AI innovation will be the ones that embrace diverse leadership,” she says.

“True progress will happen when women in AI and tech are not just included but have an active role in shaping the direction of the future. “AI is only as ethical, fair, and inclusive as the people designing it.”

Huma Lodhi, principal machine learning engineer, Sky
Her motto: Strive for excellence

Huma Lodhi is principal machine learning engineer at Sky and an AI data scientist. She has over 20 years of experience and has had a long, successful career across various academic institutions.

Her journey began with an interest in mathematics and physics, which led to computer science, and eventually AI. “Having a background in mathematics and physics was a natural transition to the field of AI,” she says.

Lodhi acknowledges that the problem of gender inequality in these industries still persists, despite some progress being made. But limited representation of women in the tech and STEM-related fields, especially in computer science, remain.

“I have observed that there are sometimes negative connotations attached to tech, maths, physics, and computer science, with the perception that these fields involve a lot of sacrifices and are more male- oriented,” she says. “There is a notion that these subjects are not suitable or interesting for women.”

To address this issue, she believes that change needs to happen at the school level, where girls should be more actively involved in computer, programming, and other STEM-related activities, with the problem being tackled from the foundation.

“Unless we make a change at the school level to encourage and engage girls in these fields, it will be difficult to see substantial progress at the higher education and professional levels,” she explains.

While Lodhi says she has not experienced any explicit incidents of gender inequality or discrimination, she acknowledges that there are implicit, unspoken and subtle biases and lack of equal treatment that still exist in the environment.

“I believe that every woman in the tech and STEM fields has likely faced some challenges, even if they cannot point to specific incidents,” she says.
To counteract this, she believes that policies should be developed with the involvement of the people they impact, including women.

“Policies made without the representation of the affected group, such as AI policies without the input from women in AI, are unlikely to be effective,” she says. “It’s important to have women involved in the policymaking process so that the policies can be well designed and beneficial.”

However, she believes that policies can be counterproductive when they are excessive, as they could negatively impact productivity.

Lodhi’s advice for a successful career in tech is to have self-belief, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and seek mentorship to navigate the path in technology and AI fields as a woman.

“Mentoring helps in professional growth and has been beneficial for me.” she says. “When I transitioned from academia to industry, I was able to navigate that transition at a senior level thanks to that.”

Her final advice to women is to embrace challenges and not be defeated by them.
“Don't be discouraged by challenges, turn challenges into strength instead by learning from them,” she concludes.

Natalia Kostantinova, global architecture lead in AI, BP
Her motto: Embrace your uniqueness

Natalia Konstantinova, a linguistics and natural language processing expert with 20 years of AI experience, is the current global architecture leader in AI at BP.
She says that evolution is an intrinsic part of an AI career.

“Over the years, I had to develop my own skills and become more technical, focusing more on coding to keep up with changes in the field,” she tells National Technology News.

Konstantinova highlights the underrepresentation of women in AI, saying that the field is 90 per cent male dominated. She adds that while she has been fortunate to avoid overt discrimination, the subtle dynamics of male-dominated spaces can still make it difficult for women to assert their voices and perspectives.

“I have encountered challenges at conferences and panel discussions, where male participants would dominate the conversation, and I had to actively raise my voice to be heard,” she recalls.

However, she acknowledges that for some women, this type of environment can be intimidating, leading them to remain silent rather than express their opinions.
This tendency, she notes, is also reflected in the recruitment process, citing research by Google that highlights a key difference in how men and women approach job applications.

“When presented with a job listing that has ten required qualifications, a typical female applicant may think, "I have nine out of ten qualifications, so maybe I can apply,” she says.

In contrast, Konstantinova says that most men in the same situation would think the opposite: “I have four out of ten qualifications, but I'm still the best candidate."

“The data highlights a subtle but significant psychological difference in how men and women approach job applications, which can disadvantage women in male-dominated industries,” she explains.

Konstantinova suggests that this imbalance may be linked to the technical nature of the field. She explains that the tech industry, including AI and data science, has different expectations compared to other fields. In tech, employees are expected to have coding and technical skills not just as part of their job, but also as a personal passion.

“There is an expectation for tech professionals to maintain a strong personal portfolio of coding projects and contributions to open-source repositories, often working on them outside of regular work hours, including weekends,” she explains.

According to Konstantinova, this poses a challenge for women with families or those seeking a more balanced work-life integration, where the constant need to upskill and keep pace with the rapidly evolving tech landscape makes it difficult to remain competitive.

As a solution, Konstantinova’s key advice for women is to embrace their strengths and unique traits rather than trying to compete directly in areas where they may be at a disadvantage.
“Women often excel at connecting with others, identifying gaps, and contributing to community-building and extracurricular activities,” she says.

She also cautions against becoming too focused on comparing oneself to others.
“Women need to be confident in their abilities, find ways to contribute that align with their strengths, and not be discouraged by the male-dominated nature of AI's technical aspects,” she advises.

She observes a shift in the field, where coding is becoming less central than before, she encourages women to explore a wider range of roles within AI beyond traditional coding-heavy positions.

“Roles like product management, which focus on designing and implementing AI applications, may become more in demand,” she notes, stressing that more opportunities will emerge for women to leverage their strengths and make valuable contributions in roles that may not be as technically focused on coding. “I strongly encourage women to explore these alternative paths within the AI ecosystem.”

Padmashree Shagrithaya, head of insights and data, global business line at Capgemini
Her motto: Generate value

Padma Shagrithaya outlines how her career has evolved from basic analytics to AI as she seeks the answers to increasingly complex business questions. She began working in predictive analytics 15 years ago, using data to uncover insights, identify correlations, and explore the "why" behind business challenges.

“This natural progression led me to more advanced analytics techniques like linear regression and, eventually, to AI, as I needed to consider multiple dimensions to address complex questions,” she explains.

As her career advanced, the field of natural language processing (NLP) emerged, and the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the shift toward AI.
At the time, few women were engaged in predictive analytics and presenting their findings to management on topics like forecasting and attrition prediction.

“I was one of the few women in boardrooms discussing these advanced analytics topics,” she recalls.
However, she has since witnessed a significant increase in participation from women in the field. “It’s heartening to see more women joining and thriving in predictive analytics and AI,” she says.

Shagrithaya observes that many women engineering graduates in India tend to transition to non-core STEM careers after entering the workforce. She advises against this and encourages women to stay in STEM.

“Don’t be intimidated by the STEM field,” she says. “Don’t shy away from it, it’s not as complex as it may seem.” She emphasises that AI, in particular, benefits from diverse thinking and multidisciplinary skills rather than purely scientific approaches.

She believes women naturally bring a multi-dimensional perspective that is valuable in the evolving AI landscape. “AI requires looking at problems from multiple angles, not just through a purely scientific lens,” she explains. “Understanding behavioural science, consumer responses to marketing, and industry trends are just as important as core scientific skills.”

She adds that women can leverage their diverse expertise and combine it to succeed in AI.
Like other women leaders interviewed for this piece, she agrees that networking and learning from others are important first steps.

“But the key is having the willingness to experiment and take the leap into AI,” she adds.
Regarding gender equality and policies supporting women in tech, she agrees that progress has been made, with companies implementing policies that welcome and support women in AI, particularly during maternity leave or career breaks.

“Companies like Capgemini have introduced initiatives to help women return to the workforce, offering fast-track paths to catch up on missed opportunities during their breaks,” she explains.

She adds that her current AI team already has over 40 per cent gender diversity, with top-tier women professionals. “My personal ambition is to reach 50 per cent gender diversity in my AI team, and I am actively working toward this goal,” concludes Shagrithaya.

Mariarosaria Taddeo, professor of digital ethics and defence technologies, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
Her motto: Know your way and listen to your intuition

Mariarosaria Taddeo is an Italian philosopher who began exploring AI at a young age while writing her university thesis on logic in 2004. Her research focused on whether machines could understand the meaning of symbols.

“Obviously, the answer was ‘no,’ and it hasn’t changed after 20 years,” she tells us.
During an Erasmus programme in Berlin, a city which was rapidly undergoing technological advancements, she realised that computers were transforming society.

“I came back with the conviction that I absolutely had to work on digital technologies,” she recalls. Now a professor of digital ethics and defence technologies at Oxford University, Taddeo grew up believing that philosophers shape the world through the power of ideas and reflect the spirit of their time.

Today, Taddeo’s work primarily focuses on digital ethics and the governance of emerging technologies, with an emphasis on the ethical implications of digital tech in national defence, cybersecurity, and cyber conflicts.

Her research has been published in leading journals such as Nature, Nature Machine Intelligence, Science, and Science Robotics. She has also received multiple accolades, including the 2010 Simon Award for Outstanding Research in Computing and Philosophy and the 2016 World Technology Award for Ethics.

Taddeo recalls that, when she first entered the field of digital technologies, all the experts guiding her were men, despite the pioneering contributions of great female figures like Susanna Hack. “When I was younger, I didn’t know many girls who wanted to be philosophers, especially in AI,” she says.

The field was and remains male-dominated, often requiring significant personal sacrifices.
“As an academic, you face job insecurity until at least age 35, travel frequently, and work long hours. Balancing this with building a family can be incredibly difficult,” she notes.

Her advice to women pursuing a career in digital technologies is to trust their intuition.
“You have to learn to believe in yourself,” she says, highlighting that self-trust has been a critical challenge in her own career.

“We come from education systems that encourage us to absorb and repeat others’ opinions rather than develop our own,” she says. “But it’s crucial to listen to your own ideas and follow your own path, especially for women.”

For Taddeo, avoiding the trap of focusing solely on gender dynamics in male-dominated environments is key to professional success. “If you’re the only woman in a room full of men, steering the entire discussion toward the fact that you’re the only woman is counterproductive,” she explains.

On gender equality policies, Taddeo notes encouraging changes have been introduced at Oxford University during the past few years. “These initiatives are essential for younger generations,” she says. “They may even influence older generations, helping them recognise that certain past practices were wrong.”

International Women’s Day, which takes place on 8th March every year, celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

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