Women in AI: Tara Chklovski is training the next generation of AI innovators

From Aerospace Engineering to AI Education

Tara Chklovski's path to AI began with a strong academic foundation in aerospace engineering, having studied at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi before earning a master’s from Boston University and a PhD from the University of Southern California. Her entry into AI came in 2016 when she was invited to the AAAI Conference in San Francisco, where she interviewed researchers applying AI to diverse fields from space exploration to stock markets. This exposure sparked her recognition of AI's potential to address pressing global issues.

Inspired by these conversations, Chklovski redirected her focus toward making AI accessible, particularly for underserved communities. She recognized that while AI was advancing rapidly, its benefits were not being evenly distributed. This realization became the driving force behind Technovation’s mission to bring cutting-edge technology education to those who need it most.

Building a Global AI Education Movement

Technovation, founded by Chklovski, has grown into a leading global initiative that combines technology education with entrepreneurship training for young women. A pivotal moment came in 2017 when a nationwide survey revealed that African American mothers were especially eager to bring AI literacy to their children—more so than any other demographic. This insight led to the launch of the AI Family Environment program, supported by Google and Nvidia, which aimed to engage families in AI learning together.

Over the years, Technovation has refined its approach, developing a research-based curriculum that is now available in 12 languages. The program emphasizes project-based learning, guiding participants to identify real problems in their communities and create AI-powered solutions. This hands-on methodology has proven effective, with Technovation claiming to be the only organization with a peer-reviewed research article validating the impact of its curriculum.

Today, the initiative has reached tens of thousands of girls worldwide, equipping them not just with technical skills but with the confidence to lead and innovate in technology-driven spaces.

Navigating Challenges in a Male-Dominated Industry

Chklovski is candid about the obstacles women face in the AI and tech sectors, describing the experience as 'frustrating' due to the concentration of power and influence among male CEOs who may lack empathy for gender-based barriers. She notes that leadership traits valued in trillion-dollar companies do not always align with those needed to understand and address systemic inequities.

Her advice to allies and advocates is clear: be bolder in investments to support women-led initiatives. She argues that sufficient research and data already exist on what works to promote gender equity in tech—what is needed now is greater commitment and action from those in positions of influence to scale proven solutions.

This perspective underscores a broader truth in industry: meaningful change requires not just awareness but deliberate resource allocation and structural support for underrepresented groups.

Practical Advice for Aspiring Women in AI

For women looking to enter the AI field, Chklovski emphasizes accessibility and initiative. She encourages beginners to start with free, high-quality online resources and to focus on areas that personally resonate with them. The Technovation curriculum, she notes, is designed as an accessible entry point requiring no prior technical background, culminating in the creation of an AI-based startup by program completion.

She also highlights the importance of learning by doing—building projects that solve tangible problems—as a way to gain both skills and confidence. This approach demystifies AI and makes it a tool for empowerment rather than an intimidating academic discipline.

Urgent Considerations in AI Development

Chklovski warns against the dangerous tendency to view underserved communities as monolithic and passive—seen merely as markets to exploit or problems to solve without their input. Drawing from Technovation’s experience, she points out that teenage girls have consistently emerged as early adopters and innovators, creating meaningful technologies long before similar ideas gained traction in Silicon Valley.

Examples include a shuttle-sharing and taxi-hailing app developed by a Technovation team in December 2010 and a mindfulness and points-of-interest app launched in March 2012. Today, participants are building AI-based applications using original datasets from communities in India, Africa, and Latin America—groups often excluded from mainstream AI development.

Her message is clear: these communities must be seen not as beneficiaries but as essential collaborators whose lived experience is critical to creating truly innovative and equitable AI solutions.

Guidelines for Responsible AI Engagement

For both users and businesses, Chklovski offers practical guidance. AI users should remain curious and informed, taking time to understand how these systems work 'under the hood' to become more critical and effective participants in the AI ecosystem.

When it comes to AI design, she advocates for inclusive collaboration—working with teams outside traditional engineering and design groups to co-create technologies that reflect a broader range of perspectives. This approach, she argues, leads to more robust and innovative outcomes without requiring significant additional time or resources.

For merchants and businesses aiming to promote accountable AI, her recommendation is to partner with global nonprofits that have access to diverse talent pools. By ensuring engineers engage directly with varied user groups during development, companies can build products that are not only technically sound but socially relevant and inclusive.

What this means

Tara Chklovski’s work with Technovation represents a vital model for inclusive AI advancement—one that prioritizes education, empowerment, and real-world problem solving over exclusionary norms. By centering the voices and ingenuity of young women from diverse backgrounds, her initiative challenges the status quo and demonstrates how AI can be shaped to serve humanity more equitably. As AI continues to evolve, approaches like hers will be essential in ensuring that technological progress benefits all segments of society, not just the privileged few. For shoppers, business leaders, and policymakers alike, supporting such efforts is not only a matter of social responsibility but a strategic imperative for building better, more innovative technologies.