Yi Chu

Dr. Chu is VP-data science, AI R&D at American Express, leading the fundamental research and innovations in generative AI and NLP. Dr. Chu previously held a position as a senior researcher at Nuance Communications (now part of Microsoft), where she developed natural language understanding models for large-scale conversational AI products, including Samsung's SVoice. She also served as the Senior Director of the Natural Language Processing (NLP) team at Workhuman, where she established and led the R&D efforts in AI and NLP from the ground up. Under her leadership, the team grew from a single member to a group of over 20 leading experts in data science, machine learning, NLP, and linguistics. Dr. Yi Chu is the original author and creator of Inclusion Advisor, the industry-first AI powered and in-the-moment DE&I coaching platform. The tool can flag the text with subtle negativity or bias to improve language inclusivity. Inclusion Advisor has been rolled out to millions of users at some of the largest corporations in the world, helping employees make communication meaningful and inclusive for all. The tool won Gold in Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology award with its implementation in Merck. She was nominated for the 2021 Builtin Moxie Award for Women Leaders in Tech and was a finalist for the Tech Leader Award at the Diversity in Tech Awards 2022. Dr. Chu earned her Ph.D. In computer science from the University of Rochester.