Dr. Timnit Gebru, Executive Director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR), has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Miles Conrad Award, the National Information Standards Organization’s (NISO) lifetime achievement honor for outstanding contributions to the information community.
Dr. Gebru will be formally recognized during the NISO Plus Baltimore conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, where she will deliver the 2025 Miles Conrad Lecture virtually at 3:15 PM EST.
Dr. Gebru is widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of ethical artificial intelligence. Prior to founding DAIR, she served as co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI research team, where her work focused on examining bias and fairness in AI systems. Her departure from Google in 2020, after raising concerns about workplace discrimination and ethical AI practices, sparked widespread discussion about accountability and transparency in the tech industry.
In 2021, Dr. Gebru established DAIR, an independent research institute dedicated to inclusive and community-driven AI development, ensuring AI technologies are created to empower rather than marginalize.
Beyond her research, Dr. Gebru is a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. She co-founded Black in AI, a non-profit organization committed to increasing representation, visibility, and support for Black professionals in the field of artificial intelligence.
She also serves on the board of AddisCoder, a non-profit focused on teaching computer programming and algorithms to high school students in Ethiopia and Jamaica.
Dr. Gebru’s groundbreaking efforts have earned her widespread recognition, including being named one of Nature’s Ten most influential figures in science and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.
Currently, Dr. Gebru is working on her book, The View from Somewhere, which combines memoir and manifesto. The book advocates for a technological future that prioritizes community empowerment over surveillance, warfare, and centralized control by Silicon Valley giants.
The Miles Conrad Award, named after Miles Conrad, a pioneer in the information services industry, has been presented annually since 1965 to recognize individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on the information field.
Dr. Gebru’s recognition comes at a pivotal time, as global conversations around AI ethics, data privacy, and algorithmic bias continue to intensify. Her lecture at NISO Plus Baltimore is expected to provide critical insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding the future of ethical AI development.
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