AI + Security Winner
About Priya
Priya Guliani is the MIT- and Oxford-educated CEO of EarthID, an AI-powered trust infrastructure company that uses privacy-preserving digital identity to stop fraud and enable safe access to finance and public services, particularly for those typically excluded by legacy systems. Her work starts from a conviction that identity is not a data transaction. It is a human right.
The focus of her work
EarthID replaces data-heavy, document-based verification with intelligent trust signals that confirm genuine users without exposing sensitive information. Using decentralised identity, verifiable credentials, selective disclosure and tokenised data, the platform ensures AI systems interact only with real people and only with the minimum information required. It targets thin-file and underserved users who are most at risk of exclusion or over-scrutiny by conventional KYC systems, including migrants, gig-economy workers and women entrepreneurs.
Impact
1.2 million+ identity verifications across three regions: the UK, Western Europe and the Middle East
Over 450,000 users provided with secure access to essential services
More than 70 percent reduction in onboarding fraud attempts for enterprise clients
30 to 40 percent increase in successful verification rates for thin-file and migrant users
Stored PII volumes reduced by approximately 45 percent across enterprises
40 percent compliance savings across more than 15 organisations
Commercial adoption grown by 75 percent in the last 18 months
Responsible AI in practice
EarthID treats responsible AI as a design constraint, not an afterthought. AI models are built so they do not rely on raw, centralised personal data, reducing the risk of bias, profiling and misuse. The platform applies selective disclosure so AI systems see only what is strictly necessary, for example confirming 'over 18' rather than accessing a full document. Fairness and inclusion are embedded by design: EarthID explicitly targets underserved users and uses AI to reduce false rejections rather than automate them. AI-based risk signals inform decisions; they do not replace human oversight.
Vision for the future
Priya believes in a world where everyone can prove who they are without surrendering their personal information, and where AI reduces barriers to essential services rather than reinforcing them. Trust in AI must be earned through verifiability, transparency and accountability.
The 2026/27 She Shapes AI Global Awards Call for Applications opens on 8 October 2026. If you or someone you know is driving positive impact through AI, we want to hear from you. Visit sheshapes.ai/awards to learn more and sign up to our newsletter to stay informed.
