Penny Soo on AI Without Women Is a Design Flaw, Not a Feature

In the global race to build AI that will reshape the way we live, work, and connect, one question matters more than ever: Who’s actually shaping it?

Because the people behind the technology—they matter. Deeply.

Right now, women entrepreneurs are still significantly underrepresented in AI. And let’s be clear: that’s not just a missed opportunity for diversity. It’s a structural flaw. One with real-world consequences.

When Women Are Left Out, Bias Is Baked In

Most AI systems are trained on data sets that reflect outdated, biased power structures—male-dominated, white-centric, and painfully narrow. So when AI is designed without diverse voices, it doesn’t just mirror inequality—it amplifies it. At scale.

We’re already seeing the fallout:

Voice recognition software still fails more often with women (I’ve seen this myself!)
Facial recognition misidentifies women of colour at far higher rates
Healthcare AI regularly misses symptoms in female patients

This isn’t hypothetical—it’s happening. That’s what occurs when people who’ve never lived the gaps try to code over them.

Women Entrepreneurs Solve Problems Others Don’t Even See

We’re not building tech toys for tech bros—we’re solving real-world problems that others often overlook.

Childcare. Community. Accessibility. Mental health. Connection.

We innovate from lived experience. We see beyond the default. We widen the definition of what’s “normal.” And when we help shape AI, we’re not just making it more “diverse”—we’re making it more human, more profitable, and more meaningful.

Women Influence the Market. We Should Influence the Machines Behind It Too.

Women drive over 80% of global consumer spending—let that sink in. If AI is shaping how products are built, marketed, and sold, then women must shape the AI too.

When we’re excluded, it doesn’t just lead to bias. It creates blind spots—blind spots that cost businesses money, trust, and relevance.

If you want AI that works in the market, start by putting women entrepreneurs in the room. We are the market. Our voice matters.

Ethical AI Needs Women at the Table

Ethics can’t be an afterthought. And governance shouldn’t be handed off to the same systems that built the bias in the first place.

Women bring a different lens to power, profit, and protection. We design for consent. We ask tougher questions. We care about the people, not just the outputs.

When women entrepreneurs lead, ethical design becomes the default—not a compliance checkbox.

Diverse Teams Don’t Just Feel Right—They Perform Better

This isn’t just about what’s fair. It’s about what works.

Companies with women founders outperform by 63% (First Round Capital)
Diverse management teams generate 19% more innovation revenue (BCG)

When women build AI, it becomes smarter, more relevant, and more responsive to real human needs. It sells better. It scales better. It serves better.

The Message Is Part of the Data

As a messaging strategist, this is my daily work: helping women refine their voice, own their space, and shape brands that don’t just ride the wave—they lead the tide.

In a world where algorithms are learning from how we speak, how we show up, and what we prioritise—your message is more than marketing. It’s data. It’s influence. It’s power.

The more women who learn to speak with clarity, confidence, and strategy, the more we shift what gets amplified, funded, and followed in this AI era.

We’re Not Asking for a Seat—We’re Building Better Tables

AI is being woven into every part of modern life. If women entrepreneurs aren’t included in building it, we’re not just being left behind—we’re being coded out.

But we’re not here to wait for permission.

We’re here to design better systems, create better questions, and build technology that actually reflects the world we live in.

Because the future of AI won’t be shaped by who’s the most technical. It will be led by those bold enough to ask better, more human questions.

And women entrepreneurs? We've never been afraid to lead that kind of change.