AI: Friend or Foe of DEIB?
Summary
Headlines warn that AI is hurting DEIB—propagating bias, reinforcing stereotypes, and risking the erasure of marginalized groups and their histories. Yet the same technology has the potential to uncover bias, scale representation, and raise the bar for inclusion at the brand, industry, academic, and societal levels. With a consumer-focused lens, panelists from MAC Cosmetics, the UN, NYU, and Responsible AI company, SeeMe Index, will explore both sides of the equation: where AI’s blind spots have failed us, where it’s driving progress, and what it takes to ensure technology reflects the world we want to see.
- Format: Panel
- Category: Panel
- Event Type: panel
- Presented By: n/a
Contributors
- Elspeth (Elly) I'Anson
- Dr. Fadia Nordtveit
- Asha Shivaji
- Aïda Moudachirou-Rebois
Raw Event JSON
Large nested arrays are compacted for page readability. Full payload remains in dataset files.
Open JSON payload
{
"id": "PP1162379",
"track": "Tech & AI",
"focus_area": null,
"category": "Panel",
"event_id": "PP1162379",
"event_type": "panel",
"format": "Panel",
"genre": null,
"subgenre": null,
"name": "AI: Friend or Foe of DEIB?",
"presented_by": null,
"publish_at": "2025-11-03T16:30:00.000-06:00",
"reservable": true,
"reservable_id": "PP1162379",
"reserved": false,
"date": "2026-03-17",
"end_time": "2026-03-17T12:30:00.000-05:00",
"start_time": "2026-03-17T11:30:00.000-05:00",
"message": null,
"image": null,
"credentials": [
{
"name": "Platinum Badge",
"type": "platinum"
},
{
"name": "Innovation Badge",
"type": "innovation"
}
],
"contributors": [
{
"id": 77921,
"company": "UN Women",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2238873,
"name": "Elspeth (Elly) I'Anson",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "Head of the Unstereotype Alliance",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Elspeth (Elly) I'Anson",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/bXZJepS5CSYrBlFmyWNhqHZpHAI=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/dfcff837-0124-2710-271e-7619e47f4c51/pcid-1622836"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Elspeth is acting Head of the Unstereotype Alliance at UN Women, the United Nations entity for Gender Equality, where she leads efforts to eradicate harmful stereotypes in advertising and media. Since February 2020, she has worked with 240 member companies and 12 national chapters to advance inclusive representation and gender equality through leveraging the ad industry as a force for good. \n\nWith over 15 years of experience in the advertising and communications industry, Elspeth began her career at Mindshare UK as a Communications Planner before leading global campaigns at Vodafone and launching a new international brand at Kingfisher PLC. Her pro bono consultancy to rebrand the UK NGO Validity led her to pursue her passion for human rights, and her current role with UN Women in New York.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 77920,
"company": "Springfield College / New York University",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2238872,
"name": "Dr. Fadia Nordtveit",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "Assistant Professor of Communications / Faculty, Researcher and Consultant",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Dr. Fadia Nordtveit",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/Ocn1ALs9M_a0KR61mqZaHc3nt5E=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/05af46aa-f43c-1cee-ba3f-308a96d614fd/pcid-1622835"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Dr. Fadia Nordtveit combines academic, entrepreneurial, and creative expertise to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Sustainability (DEIBS) in various sectors and contexts. She is an Assistant Professor of Communications at Springfield College and holds a part-time Faculty, Research, and Consultant position at New York University. Dr. Fadia is a published author and has served on numerous DEIBS committees in a variety of universities and organizations. Her research areas are DEIBS, and she has created a system of organizational inclusion called the Inclusive Business Model Canvas (IBMC) that aids in building an inclusive foundational structure.\n",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 77918,
"company": "SeeMe Index",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2238870,
"name": "Asha Shivaji",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "CEO and Co-founder",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Asha Shivaji",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/TbsFOfsUTd7c2NCgngITPJxFKnE=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/a0aba2a3-e901-be98-81ca-b85541ec9c97/pcid-1622834"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Asha Shivaji is redefining what it means to innovate in marketing effectiveness and ad tech. A former Google executive, she launched SeeMe Index, an innovative, responsible AI-powered platform, in 2023 to fill a critical industry gap: the need for transparent, data-driven tools to hold brands accountable to their DEI commitments.\n\nBefore SeeMe Index, Asha led marketing strategy for Google’s Advanced Brand Acceleration Team, where she co-developed global initiatives with the UN’s Unstereotype Alliance to dismantle harmful stereotypes in media. Her career includes partnerships with iconic brands like Apple, Disney, and Estée Lauder, where she consistently modernized marketing strategies to resonate more deeply with today’s consumers.\n",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 77906,
"company": "M∙A∙C Cosmetics",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2238858,
"name": "Aïda Moudachirou-Rebois",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "Senior Vice President, Global General Manager",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Aïda Moudachirou-Rebois",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/_d1Ue0cC--tKt4Sl9oGcMzus5Ko=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/df183c42-b182-3515-3412-3e3599b8203a/pcid-1622833"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Aïda Moudachirou-Rebois, SVP, Global GM is responsible for guiding the brand’s overall strategic vision, including innovation, product development and marketing, and all facets of consumer and digital engagement. She was appointed to her current position in January 2024.\n \nShe previously served as Global Chief Marketing Officer, M∙A∙C Cosmetics, overseeing the brand’s global marketing and product development initiatives and has been instrumental in transforming M∙A∙C’s marketing organization into the winning powerhouse that it is today -- building new talents and capabilities to unlock and enable innovation and excellence, from product to execution.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
}
],
"venue": {
"accessible": false,
"age_policy": null,
"floor": "2",
"id": "V0407",
"indoor_outdoor": "INDOOR",
"name": "Room 203-204",
"parent_id": "V0403",
"parent_venue_name": "JW Marriott",
"venue_entry_info": null,
"formats": null,
"location": {
"address": "110 E 2nd St.",
"lat_lon": [
30.2645713,
-97.743198
],
"city": "Austin",
"postal_code": "78701",
"state": "TX",
"name": "JW Marriott"
},
"root": {
"accessible": null,
"age_policy": null,
"floor": null,
"id": "V0403",
"indoor_outdoor": null,
"name": "JW Marriott",
"parent_id": null,
"parent_venue_name": null,
"venue_entry_info": null,
"formats": null
},
"events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
},
"description": "Headlines warn that AI is hurting DEIB—propagating bias, reinforcing stereotypes, and risking the erasure of marginalized groups and their histories. Yet the same technology has the potential to uncover bias, scale representation, and raise the bar for inclusion at the brand, industry, academic, and societal levels.\n\nWith a consumer-focused lens, panelists from MAC Cosmetics, the UN, NYU, and Responsible AI company, SeeMe Index, will explore both sides of the equation: where AI’s blind spots have failed us, where it’s driving progress, and what it takes to ensure technology reflects the world we want to see.",
"experience_level": "Advanced",
"accessibility": [],
"accessible_venue": false,
"add_bcl_url": false,
"add_slido": false,
"age_policy": null,
"american_sign_language": false,
"apple_url": null,
"audio_description": false,
"caption_url": null,
"closed_captioned": false,
"cpe_credit": false,
"has_subtitles": false,
"hash_tags": [],
"high_sensory_experience": false,
"live": false,
"long_description": "Headlines warn that AI is hurting DEIB—propagating bias, reinforcing stereotypes, and risking the erasure of marginalized groups and their histories. Yet the same technology has the potential to uncover bias, scale representation, and raise the bar for inclusion at the brand, industry, academic, and societal levels.\n\nWith a consumer-focused lens, panelists from MAC Cosmetics, the UN, NYU, and Responsible AI company, SeeMe Index, will explore both sides of the equation: where AI’s blind spots have failed us, where it’s driving progress, and what it takes to ensure technology reflects the world we want to see.",
"meeting_url": null,
"meeting_url_live": false,
"mentorly_url": null,
"mobile_audio_url": null,
"open_captioned": false,
"playlist_tag": null,
"rebroadcast": false,
"recommended_ids": [],
"search_conversions": null,
"short_program": false,
"slido_url": null,
"sort": "AI: FRIEND OR FOE OF DEIB?",
"source": "Official",
"squad_up_url": null,
"stream_embed": null,
"stream_id": null,
"stream_url": null,
"strobe_warning": false,
"subdiscipline": null,
"summit": null,
"summit_display_name": null,
"tags": [
{
"id": 1636,
"name": "Social Impact",
"created_at": "2017-10-16T21:03:39.709-05:00",
"updated_at": "2025-01-21T12:09:19.138-06:00",
"sort": "SOCIAL IMPACT",
"alpha": "S"
},
{
"id": 2391,
"name": "DEIB",
"created_at": "2023-02-10T20:46:08.223-06:00",
"updated_at": "2024-09-13T06:47:26.312-05:00",
"sort": "DEIB",
"alpha": "D"
},
{
"id": 2114,
"name": "AI",
"created_at": "2020-01-17T14:51:44.091-06:00",
"updated_at": "2026-02-17T20:42:14.828-06:00",
"sort": "AI",
"alpha": "A"
}
],
"talent_attending": null,
"title_only": false,
"track_display_name": "Tech & AI track sponsored by IBM",
"trailer_id": null,
"trailer_url": null,
"video_on_demand": null,
"vimeo_id": null,
"vod": false,
"xr_project_type": null,
"youtube_id": null,
"related_sales_client": null
}