How a girl from Azerbaijan started programming at 13 and built a career in AI: the story of Lyaman Aliyeva

Laman Aliyeva, City — Baku, AI Engineer, Google WomenTechmakers Ambassador, LinkedIn

About Me

I am an artificial intelligence researcher, startup founder, and Google WomenTechmakers Ambassador. My initiatives and projects have reached thousands of people, attracted investments, and been presented in more than 11 countries around the world, including Spain, Italy, China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, the United States, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and South Korea.

I graduated from ADA University with a degree in Computer Science, earning a diploma with distinction, and studied in the academic exchange program at the University of Mary Washington in the United States of America.

I started programming at the age of 13, and by the age of 15, I was already developing full-featured web and mobile applications with complex architectures. To date, I have over 10 years of experience in the technology sector, specifically in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.

Currently, I work as an AI Engineer at Azerconnect Group, where I am involved in the development and implementation of AI solutions and data analysis to improve technological processes and services.

I have represented Azerbaijan in international technology and startup competitions and have won numerous awards. For my contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, I received the Presidential Youth Award from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in 2025.

My research activities include quantum artificial intelligence, AI cybersecurity, and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, renewable energy, and the aerospace industry. I have published several scientific papers dedicated to the application of artificial intelligence for the early detection of breast cancer.

In 2025, I received a patent for an invention: AI-powered glasses for blind people, designed to assist with navigation and environmental perception.

Additionally, I am a co-founder and leader of Artificial Intelligence HUB, one of the largest AI communities in Azerbaijan. The hub conducts research, laboratory work, and fosters the development of the technological community in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Later, we launched an educational AI program for high school students, which has already been completed by 155 students.

For my contributions to science and technology, I was recognized by Women in Tech Global in 2023 as the top woman in technology in the Caucasus and Central Asia region and ranked 7th in the world. In 2024, I took first place in the CCA region in the Most Disruptive Women in Tech competition, organized by Amazon and Women in Tech.

I also engage in mentoring and public speaking about artificial intelligence and technological entrepreneurship. My talks have been featured at international conferences, including the World Economic Forum, Google I/O Extended, Google DevFest, COP29, and TEDx.

About My First IT Job

I got my first IT job at the age of 16 at JIS — Jeykhun Imanov Studio. My position was Data AI Research Engineer. Most of my work was related to automating business processes, analyzing marketing data, and researching how artificial intelligence technologies could be applied to solve real business challenges.

This experience was important to me because it was there that I first saw how technology and data could directly influence decision-making within companies.

It has always been important to me to work on technologies that create real value and have practical applications, rather than remaining only at the level of research or experiments. I believe that the strongest technological solutions are those that simultaneously create commercial value for business and benefit people and society.

This is why the position of AI Engineer at Azerconnect Group was particularly interesting to me. It is one of the leading technology companies in Azerbaijan's telecommunications industry, whose infrastructure and services are used daily by millions of people.

Working at such a company allows for the development and implementation of artificial intelligence solutions that operate on real, large-scale systems, help improve services, increase technological efficiency, and create new digital opportunities.

Challenges

The main difficulty for beginners is the lack of practical experience. Many companies want to see not only theoretical knowledge but also real projects. Therefore, it is important to start working on projects as early as possible — participating in research, internships, and technology events.

Rejections are a natural part of any professional journey. I always tried to view such situations as an opportunity to understand which skills need to be strengthened and in which direction to develop further. Each such experience helps adjust strategy and become a stronger specialist.

In real work, tasks are often much more complex than academic projects. You need to work with large volumes of data, complex systems, and real infrastructure constraints. Additionally, it is important to understand not only the technical side but also the business context of the solutions you create.

For beginners, the main difficulty is the transition from theory to the practical application of knowledge.

3 Tips to Help You Find a Job in IT

1. Practice and learn to adapt. Practice is the most important factor for development. You need to constantly work on projects, try new technologies, and adapt to changes, because IT is one of the fastest-developing fields.

2. Leverage the opportunities of artificial intelligence. Today, artificial intelligence can significantly accelerate learning, development, and the solving of complex tasks. The ability to effectively use such tools has become an important skill for a modern specialist.

3. Create technologies with real value. When you understand that your work helps people and solves real problems, the difficulties along the way become much easier to overcome. Understanding the value of your work provides strong motivation and helps you move forward.