Abu Dhabi, UAE. Alessandra Sala, Senior Director of AI and Data Science at Shutterstock and Global President of Women in AI, delivered a powerful message on trust, inclusion, and ethical responsibility during the Machines Can Think Summit 2026. Sala shared her insights in an interview with Justin Cooke following a landmark roundtable discussion at the summit.
Sala brings a unique global perspective to AI governance and adoption. In addition to her role at Shutterstock, she leads Women in AI, a nonprofit active in more than 150 countries focused on education and inclusion. She also works closely with United Nations agencies, serving as co-chair of UNESCO’s Women for Ethical AI initiative and chair of the International Telecommunication Union’s AI and Multimedia Authenticity Initiative.
At Machines Can Think, Sala convened and participated in the summit’s first dedicated roundtable on AI and society. The discussion brought together policymakers, industry leaders, technologists, and civil society representatives to address how AI can be developed and deployed safely and inclusively.
“This was about our collective future,” Sala said. “How governments, experts, and individuals can work together to orchestrate an architecture for safe and inclusive AI.”
The conclusion was clear. Progress is underway, but sustained collaboration is essential. Sala emphasized that responsible AI cannot be driven by a single group. It requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, enterprises, infrastructure providers, and society at large.
She highlighted the UAE and Abu Dhabi as a strong example of this vision in action, where national leadership, infrastructure investment, and social inclusion align around long-term goals.
Looking ahead, Sala described the desired end state for AI as one where technology enhances human connection rather than eroding it.
“We want a world where AI helps us be productive, creative, and connected,” she said. “Not isolated, addicted, or polarized.”
A major focus of Sala’s work centers on trust in the digital world. Through her leadership at the ITU, she is helping shape global standards for AI and multimedia authenticity, addressing the growing challenge of misinformation, deepfakes, and unverified digital content.
“In the physical world, humans have instincts that help us detect deception,” Sala said. “In the digital world, we have no such natural protection.”
She stressed the urgency of building a digital trust layer that allows people to verify where content comes from, understand its intent, and assess its credibility. This requires coordinated action from technology companies to implement standards, governments to support regulation, and international bodies to align on shared frameworks.
“Without trust, society cannot function,” Sala said. “Without truth, collaboration collapses.”
Sala warned that a world where everything is doubted leads to fragmentation and chaos, making collective progress impossible. Establishing authenticity, provenance, and ethical safeguards is therefore foundational, not optional.
Her message at Machines Can Think Summit 2026 reinforced core themes of the event: responsible innovation, human-centered AI, and the global effort required to ensure technology strengthens society rather than undermines it.
About Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a global creative platform providing licensed images, videos, music, and AI-powered content tools. Alessandra Sala is a senior AI leader at Shutterstock and also serves as the Global President of Women in AI, an organization promoting diversity and ethical AI worldwide.
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Interview conducted by Justin Cooke at Machines Can Think Summit 2026