You Think You’re Using Tik Tok. Tik Tok is Using You.
- Jun 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 1
A Conversation with Mia Dand, Founder of Women in AI Ethics®, on What the Algorithm Is Really Doing to You
By Mira Camillo, Guest Contributor and Vanguard Voices Columnist
I spend a lot of time thinking about what we don't know about the apps we use every day. Not the terms and conditions nobody reads. The part where the algorithm decides, before you've even opened the app, what kind of person you are and what you deserve to see. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is documented, researched, and according to Mia Dand, one of the most respected voices in responsible AI globally, it is happening to you right now.
Dand is the founder of Women in AI Ethics and CEO of Lighthouse3, a responsible innovation consultancy. When I had the chance to put my questions directly to her, I did not waste it. What she told me was startling. Not because it was surprising. Because it was so specific.
The App Is Not Neutral
I asked her the most basic question first: what is AI bias, in terms a teenager who grew up on TikTok and ChatGPT would actually understand?
"The algorithm that runs your favorite app is serving up content that's not just based on your interests," she said. "It's also using stereotypes about your race, ethnicity, and gender to decide what to show you."
She backed that up with research. Meta has been found to show black users ads for for-profit colleges while white users see public universities. "Women are shown job openings that conform to female roles like nursing while men are shown male roles like engineering," she said. And for young men: "Young men are especially at risk from chatbots and other AI-powered conversational apps, as these have been shown to suck them into women-hating manospheres."
The reason most of us haven't noticed: "AI is so deeply embedded into these tools and platforms that unless you are paying close attention, it is very easy to miss all the red flags."
History Is Written by the Winners. So Is AI.
I asked why a lack of diversity in tech produces biased products.
"History is written by the winners," she said, "and dominant groups who rule and control the world through politics and wealth. In the western world, these tend to be predominantly wealthy, white, English-speaking men. This is why AI tools trained on their narratives and histories tend to be biased in their favor, often skewing our perception of who are the good guys."
The consequences are sometimes surreal. When Microsoft attempted to correct bias in an already-trained model, the system generated images of black nazis. "Forcing diversity after the model has already been trained on biased data is not an effective strategy," she said. You cannot fix at the end what was broken at the beginning.
What Bias Is Doing to Your Future
I asked what teens should know about how bias works against us in homework, college essays, and job applications.
On schoolwork: "There is growing evidence that shows use of AI in writing or other educational tasks diminishes critical thinking ability," she said. "The aggressive push to use more AI in education prioritizes outcome over the process, training students to accept pre-issued answers rather than exercising their own judgment."
On job applications: "Hiring at large companies is a broken system and adding biased AI recruiting tools to address the flood of AI-generated slop is making things worse," she said. "The people who succeed are not the best candidates but rather those who have learned to game the system."
Her advice: "Since hiring managers are human beings, for now, old-fashioned networking should be part of every young person's job search process." Human connection. The one thing the algorithm cannot replicate.
Why We Cannot Wait
I asked why Gen Z needs to be in these conversations now rather than later.
"Youth are better informed about digital platforms than adults because they are power users of these tools and systems," she said. "Not including their lived experiences leaves a critical gap in tech discussions, which in turn leads to flawed decisions based on incomplete facts."
She did not let us off the hook. "Young people must get organized and be more vocal to overcome tech gatekeeping that limits access or outright excludes marginalized voices." Awareness without action is not enough.
Built Against Us
On whether teen girls and gender-nonconforming young people face risks not being talked about enough, Dand did not soften her answer.
"AI technologies reflect the ideologies of a male-dominated industry, including their sexist and misogynist views," she said. "The data used to train the AI models also reflects biases from a time when women were not allowed to be doctors or engineers, gender was assigned as a binary, and homosexuality was illegal."
And beyond bias in content, there is surveillance. "AI systems are surveilling and monitoring us constantly," she said. "In authoritarian and non-democratic regimes, there is a real danger of these systems being deployed against vulnerable groups." This is not a future warning. It is a present reality.
What You Can Actually Do
I asked where a teenager who wanted to do something, not just be aware, should start. She offered a framework used at Women in AI Ethics: Learn. Teach. Build.
"Study how AI products are built, how algorithms work, how they are used, and the effect they have," she said. "Acquire the knowledge and skills to test these products." Then teach others. Work collectively. "It could be as simple as starting a petition to ban AI surveillance from your school," she said. "If you keep at it, one day, you can work your way up to building the kind of ethical products that you want and the world needs."
Don't Let Them Use You
The one thing she wishes every teenager knew about AI before using it tomorrow:
"AI-enhanced tools and experiences are designed to be addictive. These platforms are turning users into NPCs, so their actions are easier to control and manipulate. So don't make AI-enabled tools and platforms your entire personality. Use these tools and apps if you must, but don't let them use you."
And on whether any one teenager can make a difference against companies worth hundreds of billions of dollars: "Have you ever been stung by a bee? A single, tiny bee can inflict a lot of pain, and without these baddies, our natural ecosystem would die."
Do not let the media convince you that significance looks like a billionaire or a TikTok influencer, she said. "This is intentional to make us feel insignificant and powerless, to convince us to give up even before we start." Many tech companies that are worth trillions of dollars today were launched by their founders at a very young age. "You, as an individual and collectively with your community, can, if you choose to, do more to change the trajectory of AI development than a profit-obsessed company ever will."
Her final thought: "Start where you are. When things feel heavy, take a break. Doodle. Cuddle cats. Skateboard. Do small things that make you happy and keep going."
Mira Camillo is a rising senior at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida and a Vanguard Voices columnist for WAIV Magazine. She's a passionate advocate for the ethical engagement of teens and youth in the use and development of responsible Artificial Intelligence.
Mia Shah Dand is the creator of "100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics®" list and founder of Women in AI Ethics®, a crucial platform for promoting diverse ethical voices in the technology sector. Described as “a conscience for the tech industry,” Ms. Dand is known internationally for her deep commitment to and advocacy for an inclusive and ethical AI future.In 2025, Ms. Dand launched WAIE+, a public interest AI venture with a mission to build a safe and secure AI future for all of humanity. WAIE+ includes the AI Ethics Institute designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice of AI Ethics. The Institute offers a unique 1-year Fellowship program for talented professionals who want to apply their expertise to solve critical and urgent problems in the AI space.
Ms. Dand also advises large enterprises and governments on responsible adoption of AI at Lighthouse3, a technology advisory firm based in New York. She is part of UNESCO's AI Ethics Experts Without Borders (AIEB) network and Women 4 Ethical AI (W4EAI) platform. She regularly hosts and speaks at global convenings for leaders in the AI space.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miadand Website: https://waieplus.com/