As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms every corner of society, it’s more important than ever for the technology industry to champion diverse women leaders who bring fresh and much-needed perspectives.
While women currently make up 49 per cent of the workforce, they remain significantly under-represented in technical occupations, with a participation rate of roughly 20 per cent, according to the Tech Council of Australia.
This is why Women’s Agenda has published a list of Women to Watch in AI today, aiming to elevate the profiles of those included, and to expand on this list of women in AI by sharing more stories over the coming months. This list is the first in a series of industry-specific features Women’s Agenda is publishing throughout 2026.
Women’s Agenda is independent journalism published by the 100% women owned and run Agenda Media. Subscribe to our daily newsletter, here.
Common barriers for women to join the AI and tech industry include socio-cultural factors, lack of trust, technological unawareness, biases in AI algorithms and inadequate representation of women in AI policy formulation.
“There are many advantages to more women having a say in the future of AI integration,” says Nikki Meller, the founder and CEO of CREDuED, who also recently helped establish Women in AI Australia to empower women across the country to create impact with AI.
“Global distrust of AI remains strong, and the safe and responsible use of AI will become increasingly important as uptake increases.”
Despite strong performance and early interest in technology, the data shows women aren’t opting for these career pathways at the same rate as men. Half of women surveyed by Tech Council of Australia reported choosing their careers based on other people’s expectations, and 66 per cent of girls aged 12-13 reported feeling ‘not smart enough’ for STEM.
And yet, one McKinsey survey found nearly all respondents were seeing their organisations using AI, highlighting the quick uptake of the technology into core systems across various industries.
“AI is transforming how we live and work, and it will shape our future. To be fair and trustworthy, AI must be shaped by voices of everyone it impacts, not just the dominant few,” award-winning scholar and gender equity advocate Muneera Bano tells Women’s Agenda.
Bano is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Data61 and Co‑Lead of the Diversity and Inclusion in AI program, where she develops responsible, human‑centred AI and champions equity, inclusion and representation within the tech sector.
Another AI expert working to amplify diverse voices, Dr Riya Aggarwal says that “the hardest problems in AI aren’t about algorithms, they’re about defining the right problems to solve.”
“Women bring perspectives that expand problem formulation, improve system relevance, and unlock applications that would otherwise be missed. Excluding that talent limits what AI can achieve.”
It’s women leaders like Meller, Bano and Dr Aggarwal who are helping pave the critical path to gender equity in an ever-evolving AI landscape.
Check out the Women’s Agenda of Women to Watch in AI here.
Women’s Agenda is independent journalism published by the 100% women owned and run Agenda Media. Subscribe to our daily newsletter, here.