Abeba Birhane

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Birhane's accolades are a reflection of her unique position as a researcher who is willing to take on the AI industry directly. Being named to TIME's AI 100 list in 2023 was a major validation of her work, especially because it came after her landmark dataset audit that had made waves in the field. The Irish Tatler Women of the Year honor in 2025 further solidified her status as a leading public intellectual in Ireland.What makes her recognition special is that it has come without her compromising her principles. She has not sought out awards or industry partnerships that would require her to soften her critiques. Instead, her honors are a testament to the power of rigorous, independent research and advocacy.

AwardsBirhane has received relatively few formal awards, but those she has earned carry significant weight. In 2023, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in AI, a recognition that placed her among the most prominent figures in the field. In 2025, she was named among Irish Tatler's Women of the Year, an honor that celebrates women who are making a difference in Ireland. These accolades reflect her growing influence beyond academia and into the public sphere.

Honours & Distinctions

TIME 100 Most Influential People in AI

TIME·2023

Selected as one of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence

Irish Tatler Women of the Year

Irish Tatler·2025

Recognized as one of Ireland's most influential women

Rankings & Lists

#1-100

TIME 100 Most Influential People in AI

TIME·2023

Records & Feats

First researcher to publicly expose racist and misogynistic content in ImageNet and 80 Million Tiny Images

Historic First·2021

Birhane and Vinay Prabhu's 2021 audit of these datasets revealed thousands of offensive labels and images, leading to the takedown of 80 Million Tiny Images.