The major has appointed an internationally recognised artificial intelligence (AI) researcher to the new role.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has appointed its first chief AI scientist, with Professor Mary-Anne Williams stepping into the newly created role.
She joins CommBank from the UNSW, where she holds the Michael J Crouch Chair for Innovation, and is the founder and lead of the UNSW Business AI Lab, as well as deputy director of the UNSW AI Institute.
In her new position, she will lead a team of researchers focused on machine learning, responsible AI, AI security, and generative AI.
Professor Williams will also help shape the bank’s AI research agenda, including talent development and the broader rollout and adoption of AI technologies.
Ranil Boteju, who also recently joined CBA as chief AI officer, said the creation of the role reflected the bank’s ambition to be at the forefront of the emerging technology.
“Mary-Anne 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,” he said.
“She will help us explore the boundaries of what’s possible with AI while taking a leadership role in the continued application of responsible AI in ways that make a real difference for our customers.”
Meanwhile, Professor Williams said she was pleased to join the bank.
“CommBank has built one of the most advanced AI capabilities of any bank in the world, and I’m excited to be joining at such a pivotal moment,” she said.
“The opportunity to work alongside exceptional technologists and researchers and help shape how AI is applied at scale for millions of Australians is a genuine privilege. My focus will be on advancing our understanding of the societal implications of AI and supporting continued responsible AI innovation across CommBank.”
Professor Williams will start with the lender on 15 June 2026.
Focus on AI and fraud
CBA has been keen to invest in emerging technologies such as AI in recent times.
Earlier this year, the lender announced the development of an advanced agentic artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to help detect fraud, as reported by The Adviser sister brand Broker Daily.
At the time, CBA executive general manager James Roberts said the new technology forms part of a $1 billion commitment to strengthen the bank’s fraud and security capabilities.
“When suspicious patterns are identified, the system quickly assesses their severity, analyses context, and proposes new detection rules to help intercept them. The new agent goes beyond traditional AI by not only rapidly identifying new threats but also determining how it can seek to disrupt them,” he said.
“The agent operates around the clock, continuously monitoring activity and adapting to emerging threats.”
Fraud has continued to present itself as an ongoing issue for the industry to grapple with in recent times.
In February 2026, media reports revealed that CBA had self-reported concerns to police and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) regarding potential mortgage fraud estimated at around $1 billion.
[Related: AUSTRAC urges tougher checks as mortgage fraud probe widens]
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