AI Ethics & Practical Applications: Moving Beyond the Hype: CTO Craft Con Panel 2025
At CTO Craft Con 2025, I had the chance to join a brilliant panel to talk about something that’s becoming more pressing by the day: AI ethics and what it actually means in practice—not just in theory or on flashy conference slides.
This wasn’t just a philosophical chat. We dug into the real-world implications of AI, especially how it’s already reshaping our industry and the lives of the people in it. I shared what I’ve seen both as an Engineering Team Lead and through my work as Head of Women in Tech at a leading payments platform, focusing on how ethical blind spots often creep in unnoticed.
Some of the key themes I explored included:
The Hidden Power of AI: How easily AI-generated summaries are taken at face value—by engineers, too. That uncritical trust can introduce subtle yet serious ethical risks.
Fixing the Feedback Loop: Why we need stronger review processes when it comes to generative AI, and why human judgement still matters—because AI doesn’t understand your product, your users, or your business goals.
Bias Isn’t Always Obvious: We need to stop assuming tools that "remove bias" are neutral. If we don’t question the training data and underlying models, we risk punishing those with non-linear career paths or real-life complexity.
Impact on Junior Talent: As more foundational work gets automated, how do we make sure junior engineers still have opportunities to learn, grow, and build confidence?
This session was about more than just cautioning against AI—it was a call to action for technical leaders to be intentional, transparent, and inclusive when building with it. Because the decisions we make now will shape not just our products, but our teams and the culture we leave behind.
Panelists: Sarah Persov/Me (Dojo) · Massimo Belloni (Bumble) · David Asabina (Philipps & Byrne) · Sérgio Ramos (YLD)
Moderator: Jennifer Riggins (Tech Journalist)
Thank you to CTO Craft Con for providing a platform to spark these essential conversations. Let’s work together to ensure the tech industry becomes a place where everyone can thrive, and nobody gets left behind!
Please get in touch if you have any questions or speaking opportunities!