Responsible AI
AI has been a focus for CommBank for a number of years. Yet we don’t do AI for the sake of AI – it must be responsibly managed and ultimately deliver a better outcome for our customers and communities.
“As one of Australia’s largest banks we need to lead the way responsibly and safely through AI advancements,” Sonal said. “We take this responsibility seriously and are keen to play a leadership role. In fact, we were one of a small number of organisations that partnered with the Australian Government to help draft the AI Ethics Principles back in 2018. And more recently, we’ve been actively engaging in consultation with the government on generative AI.”
With Gen AI, CommBank sees significant opportunities to improve banking and create personalised experiences our customers have never seen before.
Sonal also points out that delivering better outcomes with AI is about the diversity of the people working on models now and in the future. “It’s not just about the diversity of gender, which is extremely critical, but the diversity of experiences and roles too.”
And while working towards that, Sonal says that perhaps an even more important challenge for everyone involved will be ensuring all of that diversity is reflected in the models of the future.
Emerging female talent
Sonal believes that new technologies are giving women a range of new opportunities to work in tech and paving the way for diverse thinking and innovation.
“Because of the potential of technology, right now, our imagination is the only limit. How can we reimagine a world with no constraints? The current environment in tech is incredible. You don’t necessarily have to know how to code; you just need to be able to imagine a better future.”
Recently, Sonal’s 15-year-old daughter spent her mandatory schoolwork experience week at CommBank. “She got to experience the vibrant, exciting environment we have in CommBank’s AI function. She mingled with our data science graduate program cohort and worked alongside our experienced teams on cracking complex AI problems. She sat through meetings about our data and cloud platforms, which are enabling us to create reimagined experiences for our customers faster. She even got to develop her own AI model!”
Sonal admits that it’s the happiest she has seen her daughter at the end of a long day, brimming with energy and sharing her experiences with a smile. “It’s really important that we encourage girls to pursue STEM subjects and careers. We owe it to them and to us, and we need to start early. It’s about creating awareness, instilling curiosity and providing exposure.”
