Where AI Happens: Mapping Innovation

By Raji Mohanam

The intersection of artificial intelligence and gender diversity demands more than discussion—it requires actionable infrastructure. WAIV Magazine, along with the Ethical AI Alliance, has launched an initiative called Where AI Happens. The initiative is a response to this need with precision: a comprehensive digital atlas tracking AI conferences, workshops, and collaborative spaces worldwide.

This mapping project emerged from a clear observation: while talent is distributed globally, access to AI's pivotal conversations often isn't. The platform transforms abstract opportunities into concrete waypoints, allowing users to locate, engage with, and contribute to significant AI developments in their region and beyond.

The value of Where AI Happens lies in its pragmatic approach to a persistent challenge. When a software engineer in Lagos develops a breakthrough in machine learning, or when a São Paulo-based entrepreneur advances new frameworks for AI ethics, their next step shouldn't be searching through fragmented online spaces for presentation opportunities. The platform consolidates these pathways, making professional advancement more systematic than serendipitous.

Current data confirms that women's representation in AI leadership and conference presentations remains disproportionately low—a gap that affects not just individual careers but the breadth and applicability of AI development itself. Physical presence at these events correlates strongly with career advancement, research opportunities, and funding access. Where AI Happens transforms abstract opportunities into actionable coordinates.

The platform's value extends beyond information access. It facilitates the kind of substantive networking that shapes careers: direct engagement with senior researchers, hands-on workshop participation, and the formation of research partnerships that often begin with informal conversations. The tool's effectiveness relies on active community participation. Users can submit event information directly through the tool or via whereAIhappens@gmail.com. This crowdsourced approach ensures comprehensive coverage, from established international conferences to emerging regional meetups.

For professionals seeking to advance in AI, this tool offers strategic advantages. Users can plan conference attendance months in advance, identify speaking opportunities aligned with their expertise, and map potential collaboration networks. For event organizers, it provides a direct channel to reach qualified participants and speakers, helping address representation gaps proactively.

At its core, Where AI Happens is an infrastructure project. It transforms the abstract goal of increasing women's participation in AI into a concrete system of discovery and access. The platform recognizes that meaningful change in AI's gender dynamics requires more than inspiration—it requires practical tools that connect talent with opportunity.

We invite you to utilize this resource, contribute to its development, and participate in the spaces it illuminates. Your expertise and perspective are crucial components in developing AI systems that serve and represent our global community effectively.