As Global CEO, MD & Executive Director at Magellanic Cloud Ltd, Joseph leads the cloud revolution from the front. A tech leader of rare distinction, he leads Magellanic Cloud & its subsidiaries: Motivity Labs, iVIS, Scanalitix, JNIT Technologies Inc., Scandron, and Provigil. At the forefront of digital transformation, he has helped organisations across verticals with tailored tech solutions. Besides these, Joseph is also known as a serial entrepreneur & an angel investor.
Joseph Sudheer Thumma, Global Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Magellanic Cloud
With its unparalleled capabilities, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly transformed industries in recent years. Women are leading this evolution.
By Joseph Sudheer Thumma, Global CEO & MD, Magellanic Cloud
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has made remarkable advancements in recent years, fundamentally revolutionizing sectors through its unmatched capabilities. What initially served as an automation tool has now become an indispensable collaborator. Global tech giants Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta plan to invest over $320 billion in AI-related capital expenditures this year. This adoption underscores the strategic importance of AI in their business models.
However, this substantial evolution of GenAI is not solely about its technological progress but also about the diverse, creative minds propelling it forward. GenAI’s growth reflects the perspectives and values of the people behind its developments. And in this journey, women have emerged as a driving force, not merely as participants, but as true leaders, innovators, and changemakers. They are driving ethical considerations, innovation, and inclusive practices, and the impact we are witnessing is remarkable! For instance, Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, sets a perfect example. In 2024, she launched Thinking Machines Lab – a startup that focuses on reshaping AI systems to make them more accessible and customizable. It’s incredible how quickly the company garnered attention, obtaining a valuation of approximately $9 billion within its first year. Innovations like these illustrate the influential roles of women in leadership in steering these advancements ahead in alignment with societal needs.
Pioneering the Next Era in GenAI
Women in tech are redefining what’s possible through GenAI. By embedding inclusivity into the core of AI, they are tackling biases, refining algorithms, and expanding its real-world applications.
For instance,GeethaManjunath, the founder and CEO of NIRAMAI Health Analytix, is leveraging AI to detect breast cancer. Using thermal imaging and AI algorithms, her innovation offers a radiation-free alternative to mammograms, addressing critical barriers to screenings in India. This is just one example of how women are adopting GenAI to solve pressing global challenges.
Guardians of Ethical AI
As GenAI’s influence expands, the responsibility to maintain its ethical integrity rises alongside it. Women are leading this charge, upholding transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI. From addressing algorithmic bias to reducing AI-generated misinformation, they are ensuring that responsibility remains central to GenAI’s evolution.
Women leaders like Rumman Chowdhury are making strides in the space of ethical AI. As the former director of Twitter’s Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability (META) team, she spearheaded initiatives to audit and mitigate AI bias. She later founded Parity, an AI governance platform that helps organizations deploy ethical AI solutions, ensuring fairness and accountability in automated decision-making. Her intelligence illustrates how women in tech are reimagining AI to be more equitable, responsible, and well-aligned with societal needs.
Leading with Vision and Empathy
Women leaders in India are significantly reshaping the culture of tech organizations by advocating for diversity, inclusivity, and ethical AI development. Their leadership fosters environments where empathy and collaboration drive innovation, addressing unconscious biases that can infiltrate algorithms.
Anima Anandkumar, a distinguished Indian-American computer scientist and Bren Professor at Caltech, formerly led Machine Learning Research at NVIDIA. A strong advocate for diversity in tech, she has spearheaded petitions to end gender segregation in admissions and pushed for better campus security and alumni engagement. She has also openly addressed workplace harassment, driving systemic change for safer, more inclusive spaces in the industry. Her leadership exemplifies how women in top organizations are embedding inclusivity and ethics into tech, shaping a more responsible and forward-thinking future.
Educators, Mentors, and Advocates Beyond their direct contributions to GenAI, women are also paving the way for future generations. By mentoring young professionals and supporting STEM education for girls, they are advocating for policies that promote diversity in tech. Their efforts are breaking down barriers and ensuring that AI’s future is shaped by a wide range of voices. In addition, they are creating networks of support to make the AI industry more accessible and welcoming for women entering the field.
Debjani Ghosh, President of NASSCOM, exemplifies this commitment to diversity and inclusion. As the first woman to lead NASSCOM in its three-decade history, she has been a strong advocate for gender diversity in the workplace. Under her leadership, NASSCOM has focused on initiatives aimed at increasing women’s participation in STEM careers, fostering mentorship programs, and promoting workplace policies that support women in tech. Ghosh’s efforts are shaping an ecosystem where women are empowered to lead, innovate, and thrive in AI and technology.
The Future of GenAI is Inclusive
The influence of women in GenAI represents a fundamental shift in how this technology is being built, adopted, and implemented. Their leadership and innovation are ensuring that AI evolves in a way that benefits everyone, not just a privileged few. As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, the voices and contributions of women will remain indispensable.
By driving change, breaking barriers, and fostering inclusivity, they are proving that the future of AI is not only intelligent but also equitable, ethical, and empowering for all.
