Biography

Alka Lakadia is an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison studying Computer Science and Data Science with a minor in Economics. As Events Lead for the Wisconsin AI Safety Initiative (WAISI), she helps shape campus-wide dialogue around the responsible development of AI through student outreach, public programming, and technical events.

Her academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of AI innovation, industry deployment, and social responsibility. She has contributed to research in generative models and AI alignment at UW’s Informatics Skunkworks, and has held engineering and automation internships with startups and emerging tech companies. At the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, she works on bridging research and business, supporting AI product innovation and venture readiness initiatives.

In addition to her research, Alka has led technical and data-driven projects in healthcare, education, and business technology — including DermaVision, an award-winning AI-powered dermatology platform. She serves as Vice President of dotData, UW’s student data science organization, and is a leader in WACM, where she organizes workshops and mentorship programs that support women in tech.

Alka is passionate about helping companies integrate AI solutions that are not only technically effective, but aligned with broader global and societal needs. She brings a deep understanding of both system design and real-world constraints to her work at the intersection of technology and impact.

Outside of her technical work, she enjoys swimming, reading, exploring new restaurants and cafés, and traveling to experience new cultures.

2025 Session:

Present Harms and Future Risks: A Case for Responsible AI