CommBank has appointed Professor Mary-Anne Williams as its first Chief AI Scientist. This is the first role of its kind in an Australian bank.
Mr Williams joins from the University of New South Wales, where he held the Michael J Crouch Chair in Innovation, founded and led the UNSW Business AI Lab, and is Deputy Director of the UNSW AI Institute.
Following a global search, her appointment adds a senior academic researcher to the bank’s artificial intelligence leadership team. She will lead CommBank’s Distinguished AI Scientists, whose work spans machine learning, responsible AI, AI security, and generative AI.
The bank has expanded its AI leadership structure. We recently added Ranil Boteju as Chief AI Officer and the new role of Chief AI Scientist adds another senior role focused on research and the use of AI across the organization.
Mr Williams is one of Australia’s best-known AI researchers, with research spanning AI, agent AI, human-AI collaboration, decision-making and innovation. Outside of UNSW, he is a Fellow of Stanford University and a Fellow of the Society for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
research focus
At CommBank, he is expected to develop the bank’s AI research plan, help recruit and develop AI specialists, and support a responsible approach to AI. The structure mirrors the model used by large US technology and financial services groups, with senior AI research leaders recruited directly from academia.
Williams’ research focuses on how organizations manage and tune generative AI agents, an area that is receiving increasing attention as companies move from testing AI systems to widespread deployment. Her career also includes work on robotics, startup advisory work, industry partnerships, and the use of AI across business, government, and society.
The appointment comes as banks face increasing pressure to deploy AI tools while addressing security, governance and oversight risks. Financial institutions have long leveraged AI in areas such as fraud detection, customer service, and internal operations, but the rise of generative AI has led many to invest even more heavily in research talent and internal controls.
industry promotion
CommBank has sought to establish itself as one of the most active banks in this field. The company said it was ranked fourth globally and first in the Asia-Pacific region in the 2025 Evident AI Index, which tracks AI maturity across the banking sector and highlights its commitment to talent development and responsible AI.
The lender is also building relationships with several technology companies as part of its AI efforts, including Anthropic, AWS, Microsoft, and OpenAI. We’re also opening a technology hub in San Francisco alongside our existing Seattle hub, giving our engineers and technologists closer access to our technology partners.
Botege said the new role reflects the bank’s ambitions in AI research and innovation.
“Mary-Ann is one of Australia’s most respected AI leaders and brings a rare combination of academic leadership, commercial insight and deep technical expertise that will help accelerate our AI strategy. She will help us explore the limits of what is possible with AI while playing a leadership role in continuing to apply responsible AI in ways that make a real difference for our customers.” said Officer Ranil Boteju.
Williams said the bank has already built significant AI infrastructure.
“ComBank is building the most advanced AI capabilities of any bank in the world, and I’m excited to be a part of such a pivotal moment. The opportunity to work with brilliant technologists and researchers and help shape the way we apply AI at scale to millions of Australians is a true privilege. My focus is on deepening our understanding of the social impact of AI and supporting continued responsible AI innovation across CommBank.” Chief AI says scientist MaryAnn Williams. Commbank.
