Former MD of Facebook Kirthiga Reddy urges women to embrace AI
HYDERABAD: Delivering an inspiring keynote at the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) ‘Growth Code’ session, tech trailblazer Kirthiga Reddy encouraged women to dive into Artificial Intelligence with open minds and careful hearts, sharing her guiding mantra, “Use it, rely on it, but always double-check it.”
The event at District 150 by Quorum in Madhapur, featured Kirthiga Reddy, former Managing Director of Facebook (now Meta) India and current CEO and Co-Founder of Verix, captivated the audience with stories from her own journey and her bold vision for women shaping the future of technology and leadership.
Opening the session, Prathibha Kunda, Chairperson of FLO, said the event was designed around two defining questions, “What is the future demanding from women leaders?” and “Who has already lived that future before the world saw it?” She described Kirthiga Reddy as a visionary and highlighted the urgent need to bridge the digital gender gap, noting that women hold only 18% of technology leadership roles.
Kirthiga Reddy described her upbringing in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, her education at Stanford, and her role as Facebook’s first employee in India. “People who know me may not know that I am a Telugu woman. Moving across states early in life taught me adaptability and agility,” she said.
She shared her decision to join the then-emerging Facebook, attracted by its futuristic promise. Although her background was in product leadership, she embraced operational challenges in India, which shaped her professional growth.
Kirthiga Reddy shared stories to illustrate technology’s real-world impact. She recounted a woman who said, “I don’t use the internet, but I am on Facebook,” and a domestic worker who used the platform despite being unable to read. “This showed me that people don’t care about technology; they care about what it does for them,” she reflected, emphasizing Facebook’s mission to empower sharing.
AI Kiran to train 1 million
AI Kiran, an initiative of her company, is supported by NASSCOM, Aspire For Her, Youth Ki Awaaz, Karya, AnitaB.org, SheTO, and others. It aims to reach 1 million women in the next year through mentoring, learning programmes, and leadership opportunities. “AI Kiran is about recognising and nurturing future women leaders in AI, and doing it at scale,” she said.
When asked about the qualities she seeks in founders as the first female investing partner at SoftBank’s Vision Fund, Kirthiga Reddy identified three criteria, a bold vision, a commitment to solving a real problem, and a uniquely Indian aspect in the solution.
Kirthiga Reddy credited her mother as her greatest influence and shared insights from her daughter, inspiring over 200 FLO members to take charge of their growth in the digital age by blending her personal journey with a clear call to action.
Speaking about AI, she said the technology offers endless possibilities for the future. “Use AI. Rely on it. But always double-check it,” she advised the audience.
