For leaders, the promise of AI needs to be offset by an understanding of the risks. A lack of diversity and the inherent bias in technology influences many critical decisions around health, education, the workplace and society in general. It's not the fundamental technology that's racist or sexist, but the data on which we train the algorithms or the unconscious biases and prejudices of the developers. Battling these biases within and beyond the workplace includes addressing workplace equity and essential diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives. Beyond the world of HR and technology, one path to battling biases involves building awareness at a young age or through professional mentorship.  In today’s episode, Fortress IQ’s founder and CEO Pankaj Chowdhry and series producer Elizabeth Mitelman talk with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead at Google Sherika Ekpo about the unique challenges, impact of racism and sexism on society, and successful approaches for tackling bias in AI.  Talking Points: Sherika’s journey from government to Google How to be a good ally and the definition of allyship How to address pipeline issues in STEM and AI education Conquering the challenges in biases in the tech industry Why does diversity matter so much? The importance of mentorship at various levels of your lifelong journey Advice for the next generation of tech leaders Resources/Links:  Sherika Ekpo’s Official Website FortressIQ  If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and check out our series at fortressiq.com/podcast. Thanks for joining us today on hello, Human.