FilmmakerDarshan

Microsoft Artificial Intelligence 

Empowering the next generation of leaders

I am so grateful to have role models who gave me the confidence to do anything, and now I’m excited to be working with the next generation of innovators. We have trained about 2,000 young people to use AI to solve sustainability, build tools for elderly people who live alone, or tackle food waste. They can follow their passion and drive meaningful change now using AI. These amazing young people are 10 times more impactful than I am. I love it! It fills me with so much hope.

Curiosity grounded in optimism and love

I grew up in Rajasthan, India, where my mother was a TV journalist – an unusual household in our culture. My mother was a boundary breaker, and my dad is the most optimistic, kind person I’ve ever met. My parents both fostered my curiosity, which was focused on my love of technology and solving problems. It was only natural that I was drawn to a career in AI.  Now I’m devoting my passion and curiosity to solving inequality.

Creating a more equitable world

In my early 20s, I began to understand the challenges of gender and racial diversity, especially in tech—I was often aware of being the odd one out in the room. My interest in AI isn’t about technology: It’s about what it can achieve. We can solve huge problems by giving people access to technology. But when misused, algorithms can perpetuate inequities as well. I’m driven to find ways we can build technology in a more responsible way.

Who’s in the room?

Every time AI innovation moves forward, we need to consider the diversity of the people who will benefit—and who might be negatively impacted. You start by bringing the right people into the room as you are building. People who are experts in the field with real knowledge of their users and communities can help build technology in a more unbiased way. There can be conflicts between profit, people, and the planet. To be responsible, we must make tough choices that are rooted in what we stand for.

Tech for taboo topics

I started AI for Good UK to bring AI to people working on some of the biggest challenges facing humanity—like domestic violence. One in three women experience violence, often in their own homes, regardless of economic or social status. When I brought up the topic with my women friends, I was shocked that almost everyone had a story about it. Domestic abuse can be a taboo topic because there is so much shame and victim blaming. I was determined to find a solution to help.

When a relationship doesn’t feel right

I partnered with psychologists, experts in the law, and ingenious storytellers to create rAInbow, an AI-powered service that helps people talk about relationships that don't feel right. We can use rAInbow to teach people to understand that abuse can come in many forms-- physical, sexual, financial, or emotional. We can help people detect warning signs and show them how to seek help for themselves or someone else.