Autodesk CTO Raji Arasu calls for diversity in the teams building AI
WAN has been published to give AI-oriented female academics and others their well-deserved and arrears in the spotlight A series of interviews Focus on remarkable women who have contributed to the AI revolution.
Raji Arasu, the CTO of Autodesk, said that she has been using AI “several decades” to resolve software-related challenges.
“When traditional software development is approaching – now deterministic, procedural or other conventional methods – have difficulty tackling complex problems, I am always used to AI as a solution, in particular for processing unstructured data,” Arasu WAN said in an interview .
Arasu has had a long career in technology. In 1993 she joined Oracle as a technical lead. A few years later she was hired as a senior manager at Ebay, where she worked up to the role of VP of technology. After a home at Stubhub and Intuit, Arasu accepted an offer in Audodesk, where she has stayed over the past four years.
Many of these opportunities were made possible by a strong professional support network, said Arasu. She has tried to help others in turn succeed by becoming vocal about supporting women in technology and managing dei initiatives, especially for directors.
“Early in my career I was lucky to have a varied set of mentors that played a crucial role in shaping my trust, courageously expressing my perspectives and opinions, pleading for myself and making sure I had a place on the table , “said Arasu,” Arasu said.
In her various jobs over the years, Arasu said that she had a chair in the front row for exciting developments in the AI room. At Autodesk, for example, she has seen supervision of the R&D organization of the company, which has investigated AI applications in areas such as building automation, 3D modeling and engineering design.
“Progress in computing power, generative AI and the domain -specific refinement of large models have shattered the limits of research laboratories and brought these technologies into the real world,” she said. “I am fascinated by the speed with which this AI revolution is ready to transform industries across the board.”
Although exciting, AI comes with risks, recognized Arasu. AI systems often reflect the prejudices and assumptions of their makers, she said, and there are great worries about data privacy, transparency and data practices that must be tackled.
Arasu is in favor of “close cooperation” between industry and the government to create “well-informed” AI policy that is starting to tackle this risks. But she warned that strong policy can only come from multidisciplinary and various cooperation groups.
“In contrast to revolutions from the past, there is now a clear recognition that inclusive participation – especially by women – is essential for achieving fairer, more innovative results in AI and other emerging technologies,” Arasu said. “While AI industries, such as health care, education and finance, the involvement of women ensures that technology reflects a broader range of human experiences.”
Regardless of the regulations, when it comes to building AI in a responsible manner, Arasu believes that companies must ensure that their systems are clear about how they can function, so that users can trust – or at least no distrust – decisions they make . This begins, she said, by understanding customers’ concerns about their data, enabling practices to protect their own and personal information and to maintain compliance with global policy.
“Ethical design should lead the development process,” said Arasu, “with different perspectives and creating governance frames to reduce and manage risks. Continuous monitoring and accountability are essential, so that AI systems work as intended and problems fast Finally, tackling cross-disciplinary cooperation that is centered around the public interest, navigating by risks and the benefits for society. “
