AI Startup Founder Warns Women Falling Behind in AI Race

Ember AI's Deb Liu urges women to close the AI gap, calling tech fluency critical for future careers.

Feb. 9, 2026 at 6:55pm by Ben Kaplan

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Deb Liu, founder of the new AI startup Ember AI and former CEO of Ancestry.com and VP at Facebook, sounded the alarm about the growing gender gap in artificial intelligence. Liu warned that experience with AI is essential in today's job market, but usage of AI among women is much lower than that of men, putting them at a disadvantage for both promotions and new jobs.

Why it matters

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace, the disparity in AI fluency between men and women could exacerbate existing gender inequalities in the tech industry. Liu's warning highlights the need to encourage and support women in developing AI skills to ensure they are not left behind in the rapidly evolving job market.

The details

In a recent talk at the Common Ground conference in San Francisco, Liu accepted the Bad Ass Asian Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from AsAmNews and emphasized the critical importance of AI literacy for future careers. She pointed out that the usage of AI among women is much lower than that of men, which could put them at a disadvantage for promotions and new job opportunities as AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace.

  • Liu recently gave a talk at the Common Ground conference in San Francisco.
  • Liu accepted the Bad Ass Asian Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from AsAmNews.

The players

Deb Liu

The founder of the new AI startup Ember AI and former CEO of Ancestry.com and VP at Facebook.

AsAmNews

A news outlet that awarded Liu the Bad Ass Asian Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

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What they’re saying

“Experience with AI is essential in today's job market, but usage of AI among women is much lower than that of men, putting them at a disadvantage for both promotions and new jobs.”

— Deb Liu, Founder, Ember AI (Common Ground conference)

The takeaway

Liu's warning highlights the urgent need to encourage and support women in developing AI skills to ensure they are not left behind in the rapidly evolving job market as AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace. Closing the gender gap in AI fluency is critical for women to remain competitive and advance their careers in the years to come.