Aiko Shimizu

Director of AI National Skills, Microsoft

Japan

Aiko Shimizu is the director of AI national skills at Microsoft, where she leads AI education and workforce transformation policy and strategic partnerships to expand access to AI skills to empower society for the future of work. Her work focuses on ensuring that technological innovation translates into inclusive economic opportunity across Japan. She recently led Microsoft’s landmark partnership with a major Japanese labor union to deliver AI skilling at scale and organized a convening in Hiroshima using Minecraft Education to teach students about AI and peacebuilding in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Previously, Aiko served as Head of Japan Public Policy at Twitter, leading government affairs strategy on key technology policy issues such as online safety. She has worked at the intersection of technology, public policy, and society throughout her career, contributing to the development of policy and regulatory frameworks in areas such as climate, renewable energy, transportation, and digital governance. She is passionate about fostering collaboration among governments, civil society, and the private sector to ensure that emerging technologies are deployed responsibly and equitably and that their benefits are widely shared.