There’s a TikTok trend featuring a clip from the TV show Euphoria where the character Maddy blurts out, “Wait … is this f***ing play about us?!?” That was me at last year’s G2E’s Women in AI panel. I figured I was qualified to be there, because I’d recently asked ChatGPT for a banana-bread recipe instead of googling it. In my head, that made me a tech insider, practically qualified to keynote at CES. Five minutes in, it was clear the conversation was happening on a completely different level.
When I left, I didn’t feel clever. I felt unsettled. Because the truth is, the way AI is being built right now is already deciding who gets seen, which products thrive, and what companies fade. And it’s happening faster than most of us are ready for.
The lady panelists are back
Last year in “Women in AI” round one, they made the room shift in their seats. This year, they’re showing up with even bigger questions. How will quantum supercharge AI and blow past what we thought was possible? What do the “AI wars” mean for industries like ours that are still playing catch-up? And yes, they’re going there — humanoids and sentient AI. The kind of stuff that makes you wonder if you should take notes, laugh nervously, or start panic-packing a bunker bag.
For gaming, the implications cut even deeper. These aren’t just abstract tech debates. They shape which players feel seen, how sports betting models get built, what games make it onto the floor, and how marketing strategies hit (or miss) entire segments. In other words, if we’re not paying attention, the future of our industry could be coded by people who don’t even play in it.
Inclusivity isn’t charity, it’s strategy
We love to pat ourselves on the back for saying inclusivity is “important.” We add it to a slide deck, mention it in a keynote, and move on. But let’s be clear: Inclusivity is not a donation. It’s a growth strategy. When Pinterest added inclusive search filters, engagement among those users jumped 66 percent. Zest AI adjusted underwriting models and lenders found new customers without taking on extra risk. Those aren’t soft wins; they’re hard numbers.
In gaming, it’s the same. If your AI reflects only the players you already know, you’re ignoring the ones you haven’t met yet. And those players will happily find a home somewhere else.
Meet the panel you don’t skip
Dr. Anastasia Baran, Jamie Shea, Dr. Brett Abarbanel, and Christina Thakor-Rankin aren’t here to nod politely. They come with receipts — research, examples, and blunt honesty that can make even the most seasoned exec squirm a little. Which is good. If the panels you attend aren’t making you rethink strategy, you’re wasting your badge.
Why I’ll be in the front row
Last year, I walked out of the panel with questions that wouldn’t leave me alone. They followed me into meetings, onto Zoom calls, and even into my grocery-store brain space. This year, the urgency is louder. AI is moving faster. Regulation is scrambling to catch up. The gap between who is building these systems and whom they’ll serve is widening.
You know that feeling when a conversation gets a little too close and you suddenly realize you’re not just listening, you’re implicated? Embarrassing. That was last year. This year, it’s even harder to sit in the back row and pretend the story isn’t ours.
Panel: Inclusive AI Development — Progress and Challenges, a Year Later
Veronese 2401
Monday, Oct. 6, 9-9:50 a.m.
