Payal Arora

Prof. Payal Arora is a Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and co-founder of the Inclusive AI Lab and FemLab. Her research focuses on inclusive AI design, digital ethnography, and decolonial approaches to technology. She holds a PhD and has authored over 100 articles and award-winning books such as The Next Billion Users (Harvard Press) and From Pessimism to Promise (MIT Press). Recognized as a global leader in AI ethics, she has been honored with the 2025 Women in AI Benelux Award and listed among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.

Her work bridges academia and industry, with consultancies for UN agencies, Spotify, Google, and others. She has delivered 350+ keynotes globally, including at COP26 and the World Economic Forum. Payal’s research emphasizes Global South perspectives, advocating for equitable tech policies and feminist labor frameworks. She is affiliated with the Humanities Institute for Cultural Inquiry and chairs the Inclusive AI Cultures initiative. Her recent projects include UN expert work on synthetic datasets and UNICEF-UNESCO edtech initiatives.

Key research themes include human-centered AI, future of work, and digital governance. Her books explore topics like platform labor, feminist design, and tech’s societal impact. Payal’s TEDx talks and media appearances (e.g., BBC, Wired) highlight her role as a public intellectual shaping tech ethics debates.