Lila Ibrahim

Lila Ibrahim is an American engineer and businesswoman, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Google DeepMind, a leading AI research company, a role she assumed in 2018. She oversees critical functions including Operations, Governance and Ethics, Policy, Communications, and People & Culture, actively spearheading initiatives at the intersection of AI and society. Prior to her current position, Ibrahim accumulated over 30 years of experience in the technology sector, contributing to the growth of several prominent companies. Her career commenced in 1993 at Intel, where she began as a design engineer on the Pentium processor and progressed through various global engineering, technology, and management roles over 18 years, including serving as Chief of Staff to Intel CEO and Chairman Craig Barrett.

In 2010, Ibrahim transitioned to the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as a Senior Operating Partner. Her involvement with the firm led her to Coursera, an online learning platform, where she became President in 2013, and later Chief Business and Operating Officer until 2017. During her tenure at Coursera, she played a significant role in expanding educational access globally. In addition to her corporate leadership, Ibrahim is the co-founder and Chair of Team4Tech, an education technology non-profit, demonstrating her commitment to social impact. She has also contributed to public service, having been appointed to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, where she was recognized as a 2021 Distinguished Engineering Alumnae.

Throughout her career, Ibrahim has received numerous accolades for her contributions to technology and leadership. She was recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2007, a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute in 2011, and a recipient of the Anita Borg Institute’s award for Social Impact in 2010. Her influence extends to being featured on ForbesWoman in 2009 for promoting women in technology. In 2019, Business Insider included her in its lists of Most Influential Leaders Shaping Business Tech and Most Interesting & Impactful Women in Tech in the UK. More recently, in 2023, Time magazine recognized her among the 100 Most Influential People in AI. Her leadership at Google DeepMind involves managing the risks associated with AI development, and she is a signatory of the Center for AI Safety’s statement on mitigating extinction risk from AI.