Perez PR’s List

20 Women Shaping
the Future of AI

By Leslie Perez | March 8, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how organizations communicate, make decisions, and build trust with audiences.

Across industries—from research labs and technology companies to policy institutions and financial systems—AI is becoming a central force shaping how information moves through society.

As I continue exploring how these tools can be integrated into my own communications and strategic advisory work, one thing has become increasingly clear: women are playing a powerful role in defining how this technology evolves.

Across the world, women are leading AI research, building companies, guiding technology policy, and shaping how artificial intelligence intersects with media and communications.

For many entrepreneurs and professionals today, AI is no longer a distant concept. It is becoming part of everyday workflows—from research and data analysis to storytelling, productivity, and strategic planning.

And as I’ve been studying these trends and thinking about how to integrate them into business management and communications strategy, I’ve noticed something inspiring: so many women are helping redefine the future of this technology.

To mark International Women’s Day, Perez PR highlights 20 women shaping the future of artificial intelligence, media, and strategic communications.

AI Research and Technology Leaders

  • Raquel Urtasun

    Founder & CEO — WAABI‍ ‍

    Raquel Urtasun is transforming the future of transportation through artificial intelligence. Her company Waabi uses advanced simulation technology to train autonomous vehicles in virtual environments before they reach real roads, accelerating the development of safe self-driving systems.

  • Joelle Pineau

    VP, AI Research — META

    Joelle Pineau leads one of the world’s largest machine learning research teams at Meta while also serving as a professor at McGill University. Her work focuses on robotics, reinforcement learning, and open science initiatives that promote responsible AI development.

  • Daniela Rus

    Director — MIT Computer Science & AI Lab | Co-Founder, LiquidAI

    Daniela Rus leads MIT’s CSAIL, one of the most influential artificial intelligence research laboratories in the world. Her work focuses on robotics, autonomous systems, and intelligent machines capable of interacting with real-world environments.

  • Doina Precup

    Research Scientist— ‍ ‍DEEPMIND

    Romanian-Canadian researcher Doina Precup is a leading expert in reinforcement learning, a branch of AI that allows machines to learn complex decision-making processes. Her research has applications across robotics, healthcare systems, and adaptive technologies.

  • Fei-Fei Li

    Founder & CEO — World Labs

    A pioneer of modern artificial intelligence, Fei-Fei Li helped revolutionize computer vision through the creation of ImageNet, a dataset that accelerated breakthroughs in machine learning. Through her work at Stanford and her new company World Labs, she continues to advance human-centered AI systems designed to better understand and interact with the physical world. She was named a laureate of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

AI Governance, Ethics and Policy

  • Joy Buolamwini

    Joy Buolamwini

    Founder — Algorithmic Justice League

    Joy Buolamwini gained international recognition after her research revealed racial and gender bias in facial recognition technologies. Through the Algorithmic Justice League, she advocates for fairness, transparency, and accountability in artificial intelligence.

  • Amba Kak

    Amba Kak

    Executive Director — AI Now Institute

    Amba Kak works at the intersection of technology policy and governance. Her research focuses on how governments and institutions can regulate artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting democratic institutions.

  • Deb Raji

    Deb Raji

    AI Accountability Researcher — UC Berkeley

    Deb Raji specializes in auditing artificial intelligence systems to ensure transparency and fairness. Her research has helped establish frameworks for evaluating algorithmic bias in commercial AI technologies.

  • Kate Crawford

    Kate Crawford

    Research Professor — USC Anneberg

    Kate Crawford studies the political and cultural implications of artificial intelligence. Her work examines the hidden infrastructure behind AI systems and how data, labor, and power intersect in the technology ecosystem.

  • Timnit Gebru

    Timnit Gebru

    Founder — Distributed AI Research Institute


    Timnit Gebru is one of the most influential voices in the global conversation on responsible artificial intelligence. Her institute supports independent research exploring algorithmic bias, data governance, and the societal impact of machine learning systems.

AI in Business and Strategic Communications

  • Mira Murati

    Founder & CEO — Thinking Machines Lab

    As former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI, Mira Murati played a central role in bringing generative AI into mainstream awareness through technologies such as ChatGPT and DALL-E.

  • Daniela Amodei

    President & Co-Founder — Anthropic ‍ ‍

    Daniela Amodei co-founded Anthropic, one of the most prominent companies focused on building safer and more reliable AI systems. The company’s AI assistant Claude has quickly become a major player in the generative AI ecosystem.

  • Foteini Agrafioti

    Chief Science Officer — Borealis AI (RBC)

    Foteini Agrafioti leads Borealis AI, the Royal Bank of Canada’s artificial intelligence research institute. The lab develops machine learning technologies used in fraud detection, financial modeling, and cybersecurity.

  • Nina Schick

    Author and AI Advisor

    Nina Schick studies how generative AI is reshaping media, geopolitics, and the global information ecosystem. Governments and technology leaders frequently seek her insight on navigating the emerging AI-driven media landscape.

  • Allie K. Miller

    AI Strategy Advisor — Former AWS Machine Learning Leader

    Allie K. Miller advises global organizations on integrating artificial intelligence into business strategy and operations. During her time at Amazon Web Services she helped scale machine learning adoption across major enterprises.

Emerging Voices to Watch

  • Sasha Luccioni

    AI Researcher — Hugging Face

    Sasha Luccioni studies the environmental impact of artificial intelligence systems and advocates for more sustainable machine learning practices.

  • Eva Wong

    Co-Founder — Borrowell

    Eva Wong helped build Borrowell into one of Canada’s leading fintech platforms using AI and data insights to improve consumer financial transparency.

  • Daphne Koller

    Founder & CEO — Insitro

    Daphne Koller is applying machine learning to biotechnology and drug discovery through her company Insitro, helping accelerate medical research.

  • Kriti Sharma

    Technology Leader — AI for Good

    Kriti Sharma focuses on using artificial intelligence to address social challenges while advocating for ethical technology development.

  • Arati Prabhakar

    Director — White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

    Arati Prabhakar oversees U.S. national policy on emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, shaping research investment and innovation strategy.

Artificial intelligence will reshape communications, media, leadership, and business in the years ahead.

But technology alone does not determine the future. People do.

The women highlighted in Perez PR’s list are helping guide how AI is developed, governed, and applied across industries.

Beyond these pioneers, something larger is happening. Across professions, women are learning how to use AI in their work—experimenting with new tools, integrating them into businesses, and rethinking how ideas are created and shared.

Having worked in communications for more than two decades and witnessed the evolution of the web and digital media firsthand, I believe we are entering another defining moment.

AI will touch every profession.

And the more women who understand it, question it, and apply it thoughtfully, the more influence they will have in shaping the future it creates.

Leslie Perez is the Founder and Senior Strategic Consultant at Perez PR, a communications and public affairs advisory firm. She advises charities, foundations, nonprofit leaders, and political organizations on strengthening their communications, fundraising strategies, and public positioning in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Her work focuses on the intersection of AI, philanthropy, and public affairs, helping organizations understand how artificial intelligence is reshaping fundraising, donor engagement, and strategic communications. Leslie also advises and trains nonprofit boards, executive teams, and political leaders on how to understand and strategically apply AI in fundraising and communications, helping leadership navigate one of the most important technological shifts facing the philanthropic and public affairs sectors.

Through her advisory work, Leslie helps organizations translate complex ideas into compelling narratives that build trust, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful impact.