Women in AI (WAI), a nonprofit think-tank working towards inclusive AI that benefits global society, recently announced the winners of its 2026 awards for women working in AI in the Asia Pacific region.
Now in its sixth year, the WAI Awards honour women from diverse backgrounds working, leading, researching, creating or innovating in AI across public, private and NGO sectors as well as universities. At the same time, it recognises outstanding women leading change across AI, ML, data science, robotics, research and social impact and shines a spotlight on individuals making a real difference through AI.
This year’s overall Grand Winner is Grace Chung, Engineering Director and Head of Google Research APAC, with Associate Professor Dr Sharifah Sakinah Syed Ahmad named First Runner-up and Rita Arrigo, Founder of AI Native Futures, as Second Runner-up.
Chung played a leading role in building Google’s AI research capability in the region. A long-standing Google engineering leader, she founded and built Google’s first AI research lab in Australia, established as part of the company’s $1 billion Digital Future Initiative, and now leads Google Research across APAC.
“At Women in AI Australia and APAC, we empower women and minorities to become AI and data experts, innovators and leaders,” said Angela Kim, President of Women in AI Australia. “This awards platform elevates innovation, builds visibility, creates connections and strengthens the future of responsible AI. We’re delighted to celebrate the vision, resilience, excellence and inspiration which each of this year’s award winner trailblazers, visionaries and individuals represents for the next generation of AI leaders.”
More than 1,000 nominations were submitted this year with 50 finalists, demonstrating the wealth of talent and expertise in the regional AI arena.
