Girls Who Code CEO: AI Skepticism Can Drive Better Tech

When students boo graduation speakers for mentioning AI, they're not just being pessimistic. They're responding to real concerns about a technology that could reshape their careers and the world around them.

Tarika Barrett, the outgoing CEO of Girls Who Code, has spent over a decade preparing young women for tech careers. Now she's facing a new challenge: many of her students, especially young women, are deeply skeptical about artificial intelligence.

The reasons are legitimate. Some worry about AI's tendency to make errors, while others are concerned about its massive energy demands. Many are uncomfortable with how the technology could amplify the already enormous influence of tech billionaires.

Research shows a growing gap in AI usage along gender lines. Women are disproportionately hesitant to embrace the technology, even as it becomes central to the tech industry they're preparing to join.

Barrett doesn't see this skepticism as a problem. She sees it as fuel.

"We have a deeply held belief that the quality of our technology, the future of AI in particular, depends on who's going to build it," Barrett says. She argues that young people should be at the forefront of AI development precisely because the technology will impact every sector of their lives.

The organization has adapted its approach to meet the moment. Girls Who Code now includes "vibe coding" in its programming, embracing new ways of thinking about what it means to code as AI tools change the landscape.

Why This Inspires

Barrett's message flips the narrative around women and technology. Instead of asking how to make young women less skeptical about AI, she's asking how their skepticism can improve it.

The students who worry about AI's errors might become the engineers who build better safeguards. Those concerned about energy use could innovate more sustainable systems. The ones uncomfortable with concentrated tech power might create more democratic alternatives.

Their caution isn't holding them back. It's exactly what the field needs as it hurtles forward into uncharted territory.

Barrett will leave Girls Who Code this summer, but her parting wisdom carries weight. The future of AI doesn't just depend on who builds it—it depends on who questions it along the way.