Why DEI is a non-negotiable in shaping an equitable digital future

By Emma Raftery-Kenworthy, Director of PR and Marketing, Aire Logic

Artificial intelligence and digital technology hold enormous promise. From transforming healthcare and public services to opening up new ways of working and learning, the opportunities can feel endless. But that future will only be genuinely positive if the technology we build is inclusive by design, and that makes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) non-negotiable.

At its core, tech shapes how people experience the world. If the teams building digital products don’t reflect the diversity of the society they serve, those products risk reinforcing bias, excluding users, or solving the wrong problems altogether. Representation matters - clearly not as a box-ticking exercise, but because it directly influences the quality, relevance and impact of what we create.

Improving decision making

The evidence that diverse teams make better decisions is clear. Diverse teams innovate more effectively and outperform their less diverse peers. Investing in diverse founders and entrepreneurs doesn’t just drive social good; it drives economic growth. When people from different backgrounds are empowered to build, lead and influence, the entire sector benefits.

Yet we also need to be honest about the current climate. Economic pressures and shifting political narratives have fuelled a backlash against DEI, with some organisations questioning whether this work is still a priority. But what we cannot afford to forget is that DEI is fundamental to building sustainable, resilient businesses and an equitable digital future.

Particularly in the tech sector, the challenge of underrepresentation remains stark. I’m really honoured to be an active part of the Equity Charter initiative. We recently celebrated our second birthday, and we remain committed to championing equity and fairness while pioneering change in digital health. Having spent 20 years working in tech, I’ve seen women and minorities overlooked time and time again, and this has got to stop.

If we want better products and services that genuinely recognise diverse user needs, we need to widen the pathways into tech for people from underrepresented backgrounds. Encouragingly, many organisations are already working hard to do this by opening doors for young people, supporting alternative routes into digital careers, and investing in allyship and mentorship to help talent thrive. This is where initiatives like TechTogether play a vital role. By breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, they remind us that progress is built collectively.

But meaningful inclusion doesn’t begin with a DEI statement or a strategy document. It begins with personal responsibility.

Creating an effective and impactful culture

Culture is created through everyday choices. Do we actively invite women and ethnic minority colleagues to share their perspectives in meetings? Do we mentor someone who doesn’t look like us or come from the same background? Do we give our time to speak in schools or community settings in lower-income areas, helping young people understand what a career in tech could look like?

We also need to demystify the industry itself. Too many young people still don’t see tech as ‘for them’ because they don’t understand the breadth of roles available. Tech isn’t just coding - it’s design, problem-solving, communication, creativity and care. Making the sector more transparent and accessible starts with us showing up and telling those stories.

Personal responsibility also means challenging bias, even when it’s uncomfortable. That can be as practical as holding core meetings between 10am and 2pm to support people with caring responsibilities. It means recognising that while caring responsibilities affect people of all genders, they still disproportionately fall to women and so designing ways of working that reflect reality is imperative, not leaning into outdated assumptions. It means not questioning a woman’s ambition or commitment when she returns from maternity leave, but instead supporting her to succeed on her own terms.

While the UK will inevitably feel the aftershocks of decisions made by large firms in the US, we cannot allow that to slow our own progress. Tech companies wield enormous influence, and with that comes responsibility. We have the power to shape not just digital products, but social outcomes.

This month is an opportunity to celebrate the organisations and individuals driving change, while being clear-eyed about the work still ahead. An equitable digital future won’t happen by accident. It will be built through conscious choices, shared accountability and a collective commitment to inclusion, every single day.

About the campaign

techUK’s TechTogether campaign continues with a focus on ‘Evolving Online Safety'. Our insights this week focus on ensuring AI systems are designed, governed and deployed responsibly, with diverse perspectives shaping how technology impacts society, strengthening cyber defences and reducing vulnerabilities as organisations adopt new technologies and expand digital services, and addressing workplace culture, leadership and systemic barriers to ensure diverse voices shape the future of technology.