Payal Arora is Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and an award-winning author, including The Next Billion Users (Harvard Press) and From Pessimism to Promise (MIT Press). Recognised by Forbes as the “next billion champion,” she has published 150+ academic works, co-founded the Inclusive AI Lab and FemLab, and advised organisations such as UNHCR, Google and Adobe. Listed among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics 2025, she is a global keynote speaker whose work on diversifying AI has been featured in over 250 media outlets worldwide.