Kathy Baxter

As Principal Architect and VP of Responsible AI & Tech, Kathy Baxter plays a central role in shaping Salesforce’s approach to building and deploying trusted AI across its products. Human judgment still matters. “AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect,” she says. “That’s why humans must stay in the loop to question, validate, and guide its outputs.”

As a senior leader at Salesforce, Baxter emphasizes that responsible AI requires sustained focus and clear prioritization. She notes that building long-term trust in AI systems means making deliberate choices about where teams invest time and energy, especially as the technology evolves.

Trustworthiness in AI, Kathy says, is non-negotiable, and she’s never been afraid to push for it. Back in 2016, when Salesforce began developing chatbots, she raised early concerns about bad actors manipulating them to produce harmful content. That challenge sparked a company-wide movement to address bias, fairness, and toxicity, work that grew into Salesforce’s Office of Ethical and Humane Use, embedding trust into every product the company builds.