Women in Chiplets: Perspectives on AI, Leadership, and Career Balance
In recognition of International Women’s Day, this Women in Chiplets Summit video brings voices from across the semiconductor ecosystem to discuss leadership, career development, and the role of AI in shaping the future of engineering.
Panelists included Anu Ramamurthy, Associate Fellow – Design at Microchip and Open Compute Project contributor; Amy Leung, semiconductor veteran with over 28 years in the industry and CEO of AEM; Pam Fulton, Senior Principal Engineer with Intel Foundry Services for 30 years; and Letizia Giuliano, Vice President of Product Marketing and Management at Alphawave (acquired by Qualcomm).
AI and the Career Equation
A major theme centered on the rise of artificial intelligence and its influence on engineering careers. The panel reflected on how AI tools impact technical work, personal development, and even family discussions about technology. Some expressed concerns about how their children are using AI tools, raising questions about long-term dependencies and skill development.
Ramamurthy encouraged women engineers to adopt AI tools confidently rather than shy away from them. She noted:
“Women are less likely to adopt [AI] because they think it’s some form of cheating. There is no cheating — the men use it. [Women] use it, too. So, I think… you want to level that playing field by not saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t come up with these five brilliant sentences because AI did.’ No, no, no — there’s no cheating. Just use it and go with it, because guess what? Your colleague is going to use it and they don’t feel like it’s cheating."
Earning Influence and Recognition
Panelists also explored the topic of influence in the workplace. One attendee asked how women engineers can get male colleagues to listen, especially when technical decisions happen in informal settings such as dinners or drinks. Fulton responded that inclusion isn't necessarily a gender issue, suggesting that women should “go along with the game” and, perhaps, focus on building relationships through one-on-one meetings.
The discussion turned to how women often don’t ask about salary, promotion, or recognition — and the consequences when they don’t. The panel considered how to encourage women to plan their careers proactively and advocate for themselves in professional settings.
Mentorship and Motivation
The importance of mentorship emerged as another key point. Panelists agreed that asking for mentorship is an essential part of career growth, and that proactive engagement helps women navigate complex technical environments.
The conversation also touched on how to motivate younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as they prepare to enter engineering fields shaped by AI and rapid technological change. These generations have a different idea of what work should be, what kind of impact they will have personally, and have a preference for working from home versus coming into an office. These are orthogonal to the more senior staff they work with and by whom they're supervised, presenting challenges due to a generational empathy disconnect.
Work-Life Balance Across Phases
Finally, the panel looked at work-life balance, questioning how it evolves across different life stages and career phases, especially for women raising families. Participants compared experiences and discussed how work-life expectations shift over time and with changing personal priorities.
The Women in Chiplets session provided direct insights into the realities of engineering leadership, AI adoption, and career management from experienced voices across the semiconductor industry. The panelists reminded the audience that advancement in technology must also come with equitable progress in opportunity and inclusion.
Inclusion includes more important and often overlooked issues than merely binary gender, such as age, shyness, minorities — people who are different and don't fit — look around the room. Be self-aware and self-compassionate, to see who needs to be pulled up. Perceive how others see you, get feedback, and try to be better.
