Leena Nair, Chanel’s second female global CEO and the first Indian to hold the position, recently visited Microsoft’s headquarters to explore the applications of artificial intelligence in her company. While there, she requested ChatGPT to generate an image of Chanel’s senior leadership team. The result—a group of men in suits—did not reflect Chanel’s true makeup, which includes 76% female employees and a customer base that’s predominantly women. Nair shared her experience during an interview at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, noting how the AI image failed to capture the diversity she advocates for at Chanel.

During her Silicon Valley trip, Nair visited several tech giants, including Google, as part of Chanel’s investment in AI innovation, such as the Lipscanner app launched in 2021, which uses AI to help customers try on lip colors virtually. However, her experience highlighted persistent biases within AI, echoing findings from a recent UCLA study that showed large language models often reinforce gender stereotypes. The study found that AI tends to describe male candidates using words like “expert” or “integrity,” while favoring terms like “beauty” or “delight” for women.

Nair sees AI as essential to Chanel’s future but believes strongly in ethical oversight. “AI’s transformative power is clear, but it’s critical to apply a humanistic lens,” she commented. Nair actively discusses this with her counterparts in the tech world, urging them to incorporate inclusive thinking into AI development.

Since taking the helm in 2021 after three decades at Unilever, Nair has worked to bring more women into Chanel’s management ranks, raising the percentage of female managers from 38% to 60%. Her leadership continues the legacy of Chanel’s founder, Gabrielle Chanel, by challenging the status quo and advocating for gender equality. Nair remarked, “I’ve often been the first in my roles, whether as a woman, a person of color, or an Indian. But I aim to ensure I’m not the last.”