Ayodele Odubela
AI Alt Lab

A Nigerian-born scientist based in the United States, Ayodele Odubela has made the ethics of artificial intelligence the defining mission of her career. At Microsoft, she led AI education initiatives, translating complex academic research into practical learning resources and case studies that made artificial intelligence more accessible to a wider audience. She also founded Data Science Pathways, an initiative designed to help people from non-traditional backgrounds build careers in technology. Odubela advocates for an inclusive form of AI that understands social and cultural contexts rather than reinforcing existing inequalities. Her work has earned recognition in Washington, where she served on the US National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). She often summarises her philosophy in a single sentence: “AI can change the world—but we must make sure it doesn’t change it for the worse.” On X, she has also warned of the growing militarisation of artificial intelligence: “We are heading directly towards the development of AI agents for warfare, which could trigger a missile-crisis scenario leading to mutually assured global destruction.” Through her research initiative, AI Alt Lab, Odubela is working towards a very different future—one in which algorithms serve everyone, and especially the most vulnerable. Her vision is that the future of AI, and of humanity itself, should be not only innovative, but also transparent, accountable and ethical.