Timnit Gebru

Timnit Gebru is a renowned expert on artificial intelligence and data mining, presently serving as the Executive Director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute. Dismissed from her role as Co-Lead of the Ethical AI Research Team at Google for raising issues of discrimination in the workplace, Timnit is outspoken on diversity and inclusion in AI. Having conducted extensive research on algorithmic bias and the ethical implications of gaining insights from data, Timnit warns audiences about the dangers of predictive policing and human biases in machine learning in her speaking engagements.

Highly educated, Timnit holds a BS in Electrical Engineering, a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Whilst completing her PhD research, Timnit was advised by Fei-Fei Li, a pioneer in the field of AI who was responsible for establishing ImageNet, a cutting-edge dataset which enabled rapid advancement in computer vision in 2010. First joining Apple as a Hardware Intern, Timnit rapidly progressed to Audio Systems Engineer and Audio Engineer, where she worked on audio quality projects. She also worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Stanford University, conducting ground-breaking research on OCT systems.

In 2018, Timnit completed Postdoctoral Research at Microsoft Research in the Fairness Accountability Transparency and Ethics in AI Group, exploring algorithmic bias and the ethical consequences underlying projects seeking to gain insights from data. She has been featured in several publications, such as Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Wired and has published multiple articles warning people about the dangers of AI, citing the lack of diversity in the industry and highlighting human biases in machine learning. As the co-founder of Black in AI, Timnit seeks to increase the inclusion, health, visibility, and presence of Black people in the field of AI.

Timnit also sits on the Board of AddisCooder, helping to educate the next generation of AI experts in Ethiopia by teaching computer programming and algorithms to high-school students. In recognition of her contributions to AI, she was listed on Time’s Most Influential list and named as one of Nature’s Ten People Who Shaped Science in 2021 and 2022. She was also included in the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune. Influenced by her personal experiences with racial discrimination and observations of systemic racism, Timnit is passionate about eliminating racial bias in AI. When booked for speaking engagements she captivates audiences with her insights into algorithmic bias and data mining.