AI and the Future of Work: Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace, Business, Ethics, HR, and IT for AI Enthusiasts, Leaders and Academics 382: Are We Building AI Without Half the Population? With Lisa Davis, Author of The Only Woman in the Room
Mar 30, 2026
Lisa Davis, a technology executive and former CIO with 30+ years across DoD, Intel, and healthcare, champions women and diverse talent in STEM. She discusses why female representation in STEM has fallen, how that gap risks biased AI, why corporate systems were never built for women, and practical steps to build gender-neutral cultures and govern AI responsibly.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Only Woman In A JPMorgan Boardroom
- Lisa Davis recounts being the only woman at a large JPMorgan meeting surrounded by senior male executives.
- The scene — 50 people, all men in similar suits — illustrates everyday isolation and unspoken rules women navigate in leadership rooms.
Falling Female STEM Representation Threatens AI
- Women's representation in STEM has fallen from ~34% in the mid-1980s to 22% in 2026.
- Lisa Davis highlights this decline as alarming and frames it as a crisis for AI because missing voices shape products and algorithms.
Measure Promotion Bottlenecks To Fix Culture
- Measure what matters to change culture: track promotion rates, time-in-role, and pay equity for women.
- Use diverse hiring panels, visible role models, and sponsorship to counter
