Women in AI: Exploring Responsible AI Adoption in Media at the Financial Times

G&F Senior Client Partner, Pippa Bradley Dixon, had the privilege of joining a truly inspiring morning with the Women in AI cohort at the Financial Times, where a group of incredible female leaders came together to share insights, spark discussion, and tackle the complex topic of AI adoption, particularly in the media industry. Here's a few of Pippa's takeaways:

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Kicking Off with Impact

Kate Sargent opened the event with a warm welcome and some powerful statistics about the FT’s own data team - an impressive 48% of which is made up of women. It was a strong reminder that diversity in AI and data is not only possible but essential.

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Bias in AI: A Leadership Imperative

Rukasana Bhaijee shared a compelling roundup of recent developments in the AI space, placing a spotlight on bias within AI tools. Her message was clear: senior leaders must pay attention to the data inputs that power these tools, as they ultimately shape the outputs and decisions that follow. In this fast-moving space, responsibility must be built in from the start.

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Panel Highlights: AI Adoption in Media

A standout moment was the expert panel discussion, focused on how AI is being adopted across the media sector. Each speaker brought a unique perspective, grounded in their specific role and organisation:

• Melissa Heikkilä – AI Editor, Financial Times
• Louise Meyer-Schönherr – Strategy, ElevenLabs
• Rose du Chatellier – Strategic Initiatives, Condé Nast
• Lalita Taylor FRSA – Inclusion Consultant, CoSTAR National Lab
• Frances Denny – VP Commercial Global Drama, Fremantle

Brilliantly moderated by Kara McCloskey Mendes from OpenAI, the panel covered not just how AI is currently being used, but what ethical implementation looks like in real-world media organisations.

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Key Takeaway: Secure, Responsible Innovation

The overarching theme of the day? Security and regulation must underpin everything. While AI opens up powerful opportunities, from speeding up repetitive tasks to enhancing content creation, responsibility and oversight are non-negotiable. Discussions ranged from watermarking AI-generated images, managing deep fakes, to verifying sources and protecting IP. As the media sector continues to adopt AI, the emphasis needs to be on using technology for the right reasons, with robust processes in place to safeguard quality, trust, and ethics.

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The event has certainly given us a new energy, and Gathered & Found are more committed than ever to building thoughtful, inclusive, and responsible AI solutions. We’re already looking forward to the next Women in AI event.

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