Host a book club event for What It Meant to Survive , my second novel! Available everywhere books are sold.
Welcome! My name is Mala Kumar and I am a global leader in tech / AI for social good
I have deep expertise in UX research and design, open source software, and AI / ML for social good. Throughout my 15+ year career, I have led groundbreaking initiatives that have reached 60,000+ people globally and contributed to the SDGs. I am currently the Executive Director of Humane Intelligence, an AI evaluations organization that helps responsibility unlock the power of AI for good at scale.
Previously, I was the Director of Program Management, AI Safety at MLCommons, where I oversaw the core team that created its inaugural AI safety benchmark. As the Director of Tech for Social Good at GitHub, I pioneered new methods in open source software for social good, including the launch of the first OSPO in the UN system. I was one of the first people globally to introduce UX research and design to the United Nations, where I led the design and development of novel tech solutions in public health, food security, and disaster risk management. While NYC is home, I have extensive experience working in four continents, in both English and French, and I regularly travel abroad to conduct field research and speak. I have presented and keynoted at the India AI Impact Summit, UNGA, Cornell Tech, IGF, NasDaq, Nordic.Design, and RightsCon.
Separate to my tech work, I am the author of two novels. My second novel What it Meant to Survive was published on October 1, 2024.
Email me at malakumarconsulting [at] gmail [dot] com or use the button below to get in touch.
My previous employers:
I am currently open to:
Announcements
- Join on 17 May 2026 for a private What It Meant to Survive book event hosted in Queens, NYC. Reach out to attend.
- In June 2026, my LinkedIn Learning course on AI evaluations will be available. Check back here for the link.
- Read my Humane Intelligence blog post about SDGs and ontologies.
Video Series
I’m one of the few people I know who went from the social sector to the tech industry. I have a series of videos to help others do the same:
Featured Talk
I’ve given keynote talks at design and other tech conferences in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the United States. Hear my talk at KIKK in Namur, Belgium on “Substantive Tech” to the right/below.
Unless otherwise stated, all content by Mala Kumar on malakumar.com is under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0