We Need Diversity & Inclusion More Than Ever in the Age of AI

As AI sweeps across our world at a pace few could’ve predicted, we’re standing at a turning point. On one side, we’ve got the chance to use this technology to elevate how we live, work, and learn. On the other, we risk building systems that quietly reinforce everything we’ve spent decades trying to overcome.

So let’s be honest. If we don’t prioritize diversity and inclusion now, we’re building a future that doesn’t reflect all of us.

And for me, this isn’t theoretical.

My daughter has Down syndrome. She’s taught me more about what it means to be human than any device, platform, or algorithm ever could. Every time she’s welcomed and included in her school or community, everyone benefits. She learns and grows. But so do the people around her. They get to see the world from a different perspective. They learn empathy, patience, joy, and connection — things AI can’t replicate.

So when I hear conversations about AI replacing human interaction or streamlining education, I pause.

Because no matter how fast the technology moves, it won’t teach us what we most need to know. It won’t teach us how to listen deeply, how to connect across difference, or how to sit with someone and really see them.

Inclusion can’t be an afterthought.

Too often, inclusion is something we say we’ll get to later. Build the product first. Launch the program. Then come back to diversity when we have more time or budget.

But in the age of AI, later is too late.

If we don’t build with inclusion from the beginning, we’re setting people up to be excluded from the beginning.

And I’ve seen what happens when people like my daughter are left out. We all lose something. We lose out on voices, talents, stories, and ways of thinking that could change how we see the world.

Our greatest technology is still each other.

AI can process data. It can predict and automate. But it can’t replace the feeling of being seen. It can’t teach us how to be present with someone whose life looks different from our own. It can’t model love or resilience or wonder.

Diversity and inclusion aren’t just checkboxes. They’re the soul of any community that wants to thrive. They make our systems stronger, our classrooms more vibrant, and our futures more just.

This is the work we’re called to do.

AI’s going to keep moving fast. That’s a given. But speed doesn’t matter if we’re headed in the wrong direction.

So let’s slow down and ask better questions. Who’s at the table? Who’s missing? And what kind of world are we building with the tools we say are here to help?

If we get this right, we’ll build more than smart technology. We’ll build a future where people still matter. Where inclusion is practiced, not just promised. And where being human isn’t something to work around — it’s the reason we’re here in the first place.