Rachel Thomas

Rachel Thomas serves as founding Director of the Center for Applied Data Ethics at the University of San Francisco and co-founder of fast.ai, where she has revolutionized access to deep learning education. After earning her PhD in mathematics from Duke University in 2010, where she focused on biochemical networks, she worked as a quantitative analyst at Exelon and later at Uber developing driver interface and surge algorithms. Her commitment to democratizing AI education led her to create the first university-accredited open access certificate in deep learning and establish fast.ai with Jeremy Howard. Her work focuses on making deep learning more accessible to people from diverse backgrounds, addressing unconscious bias in machine learning, and promoting ethical AI development. She has been particularly vocal about retention issues in tech, noting that 41% of women leave within 10 years, and advocates for greater diversity in AI to prevent biased systems. Her contributions earned her recognition from Forbes as one of the 20 most incredible women in artificial intelligence. Through her research and teaching, she continues to bridge the gap between technical expertise and ethical considerations in AI development while championing increased representation in the field.