AI Trust Council Appoints Hema Dey Vice Chair to Advance Digital Trust and Accountability

Forbes-recognized AI leader and author of The AI Translator to help rebuild trust, now the scarcest resource of the AI era, as deepfakes spread and cause harm

NEWARK, DE, UNITED STATES, November 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The AI Trust Council, the global body that governs the Trust Identity Protocol (TIP), has named Hema Dey its Vice Chair.

Dey, founder and CEO of Iffel International and known as "The AI Translator," was named by Forbes in 2025 as one of the Top 5 AI Leaders bringing AI to everyone. An adviser to the Council since July 2026, she joins Chairman Ross Thorpe, CEO of the human-only social platform Rooverse.

In recognition of her mission to protect people, the Council has also honored Dey with the title Vice Chairlady, reflecting its view of the role as stewardship of people rather than corporate oversight.

Dey calls her philosophy Team Human x Team AI: human judgment and AI capability working together, with people in charge.

"I'm on Team Human x Team AI," Dey said. "AI can do extraordinary things for us, but only if people can still trust what they see, read, hear, and know who made it. I've spent my career translating technology for people. This role is about making digital trust transparent, verifiable and accessible to everyone."

Her message to governments and frontier AI companies: "Intelligence is no longer scarce. Trust is. The companies and countries that can prove who made what will lead the AI era."

A Shared Push for Transparency

Dey's view reflects a growing global call for AI that serves people. In Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical, released May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV argued that technology must serve human dignity and that power over AI should be shared. The European Union's AI Act requires that AI-generated and manipulated content be disclosed.

"Nobody should have to take a platform's word for who made something," Dey said. "People deserve to see it for themselves."

"Our goal is not just to build the technology, but to establish the standards and governance that make trust verifiable," said Dinesh Mendhe, founder of The AI Lab and inventor of TIP. "Hema brings the experience and perspective needed to make these ideas practical and accessible."

"Hema has spent three decades helping businesses explain technology to the people it affects," Thorpe said. "That's the bridge this Council needs, between the people building AI and the people living with it."

"Through the AI Translator Academy, Hema helps young people build confidence and navigate a changing job market," said Dr. Sofia Martinez, chief executive officer of The AI Lab. "That keeps people at the center of technological progress."

Who is Hema Dey?

Dey brings three decades of international business experience. She founded Iffel International in New Zealand in 2006; the agency, now based in Orange County, California, has served clients in more than 35 countries. She is the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling book The AI Translator: Making Your Marketing Message Click with People and Code. KEA New Zealand named her a World Class New Zealander in 2013, and the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) has nominated her for Top Women Business Owners in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and for Innovator of the Year in 2025 and 2026. She is the AI adviser to Women in International Trade Orange County (WITOC) and serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Affairs Council of Orange County.

Why It Matters

The appointment follows what CNBC and Axios have called "Black October," a wave of AI-assisted cyber incidents last month. As AI makes faking a face, voice, or document cheaper, knowing who made something has become a question of safety.

TIP records who created a piece of work, from documents to films and podcasts, when it was published, whether a person, AI, or both made it, and whether it has changed since, in a signed record no one can quietly alter. TIP is available now for enterprises to integrate; the open specification is at github.com/theailaborg/tip-protocol.

About the AI Trust Council

The AI Trust Council governs the Trust Identity Protocol. Founded by Dinesh Mendhe and convened by The AI Lab on May 3, 2026, it gives five constituencies, Creators, Institutions, Publishers, Operators, and Partners, an equal voice. Members are listed at theailab.org/ai-trust-council/members.

About The AI Lab

The AI Lab Intelligence Unobscured, Inc. publishes the Trust Identity Protocol, operates the AI Trust Registry, and runs the Global Seal of Trust certification program for AI systems. Dinesh Mendhe founded it in January 2026 and serves as founder and chairman. Learn more at theailab.org.

About Iffel International

Iffel International is an award-winning digital marketing and AI agency headquartered in Anaheim Hills, California. Learn more at iffelinternational.com.

Trademark Notice

AI TRUST COUNCIL is a registered trademark of The AI Lab Intelligence Unobscured, Inc., U.S. Reg. No. 8483190.

Ram Ghonmode
The AI Lab
+1 845-464-5347
media@theailab.org
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