From the corridors of IIT Roorkee to the forefront of global AI innovation in Australia, Professor Svetha Venkatesh has carved a trailblazing path and now counted among the top 15 women in Artificial Intelligence globally.
As one of both India’s and Australia’s leading computer scientists and Co-Director of the Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute (A²I²) at Deakin University, her work is pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve across health, safety, sustainability, and beyond and how cross-cultural environments can nurture the brightest minds and brilliant possibilities for excellence.
“I always loved that there were so many things we didn’t know, and sometimes, we got to discover something new.”
Growing up in India, Svetha was captivated by science inspiring her to study Electronics and Telecommunication at IIT Roorkee, followed by a Masters in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi. She later moved to Australia with her family and pursued a PhD in Computer Science at Curtin University, where her passion for pattern recognition laid the foundation for a remarkable academic journey.
Mentorship, courage, and a well-timed email
One bold moment would change everything!
As a young lecturer, Professor Svetha emailed Professor Barney Glover AO, then-Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research, Deakin University, to discuss her ideas on pattern recognition, an unorthodox move, but one that led to regular, stimulating conversations and her first mentorship.
“That conversation was the start of everything,” she says. “I’ve been lucky to have many wonderful mentors who’ve inspired and supported me.”
AI with Purpose: Tackling Humanity’s Grand Challenges
At Deakin University’s A²I², Professor Venkatesh leads a team of brilliant minds solving some of the world’s most pressing problems, strategically chosen for their potential to improve lives.
“We’re not just solving any problem. We ask: Will this make the world a better, happier place for our children?” she explains.
Projects include personalised mental health treatments using smartphones, early diagnosis of cerebral palsy in infants, and developing AI models to preserve individual data privacy. Her team is also pioneering solutions in sustainable energy and advancing small language models tailored for safety and privacy.
Her vision is clear – ‘Research must translate into real-world impact.’
The Laureate Work: Accelerating Discovery Across Disciplines
A hallmark of her career has been her Laureate Fellowship research, which explored how machine learning could accelerate experimental design by reducing the number of experiments needed to achieve results. In solving these challenges, she and her team developed new algorithms that have since been applied across fields. From developing nanofibres and metal alloys to scaffolding for cell growth, and even in rapid-response mental health trials.
“The beauty of this work,” she reflects, “is that it speeds up the process of discovery making the seemingly impossible accessible.”
Leadership, inclusion, and the power of giving – Women in STEM
As a woman in STEM leadership, her journey has included its share of challenges. She candidly shares a defining moment, which was attending her first research grant interview with her six-year-old son in tow.
“I was told I made an impression. To this day, I think it was Akshay being there that helped me get that grant,” she laughs.
Her leadership philosophy is rooted in resilience, generosity, and inclusion.
“It’s okay to fail. No one knows everything. That’s why we need scientists,” she says.
For young researchers, especially from Indian-origin backgrounds, her advice is both practical and profound – “Collaborate fearlessly with people who are not like you. Give more than you take. Generosity is the greatest joy.”
India and Australia: A Collaborative Future in AI
“There’s so much to be learned from one another, technologically, culturally, and ethically.”
For Professor Svetha Venkatesh, the future of artificial intelligence lies not only in algorithms and models but in the bridges built between nations, particularly between India and Australia, two nations with a deep commitment to solving real-world challenges.
At the helm of Deakin University’s A²I², she is leading research that not only advances AI science but also delivers tangible impact in sectors that matter most – healthcare, sustainability, education, and safety. These are the domains where India and Australia have a shared need and complementary strengths.
“Australia and India are uniquely positioned to collaborate on high-impact AI,” she says. “Whether it’s creating accessible mental health solutions, scaling sustainable energy innovations, or advancing safe and ethical AI, the opportunities are immense.”
The approach at A2I2 exemplifies applied AI partnerships by working closely with government, industry, and communities, an approach increasingly embraced by India. A mission deeply embedded in the university’s engagement in India. Her team’s transdisciplinary work includes:
- Smartphone-based personalised mental health care, developed with the Black Dog Institute, offering scalable solutions for India’s urban-rural mental health divide.
- AI-enabled early diagnosis of cerebral palsy in infants, with significant potential for adoption in under-resourced Indian paediatric care.
- Machine learning for faster experimental design, reducing R&D costs and timelines—highly relevant to India’s innovation sectors, from clean energy to pharmaceuticals.
Professor Venkatesh envisions a future where joint research labs, cross-border PhD programs, and co-developed AI models become the norm, not the exception.
As per her, India can benefit from Australia’s strong regulatory and ethical frameworks for AI, while Australia gains from India’s scale, talent, and speed of digital adoption.
Whether it’s preventing suicide, transforming mental health care, or empowering the next generation of AI leaders, her impact resonates far beyond the lab.
In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, she reminds us of the deeper purpose behind the science – “Make the world a better, happier place for everyone.”
Prachi Mishra is the Manager – Marketing & Communications (South Asia) at Deakin University. She is an experienced storyteller and a strategist by role and thrives at the intersection of corporate content and inspiring narratives. From executive features to content campaigns, Prachi’s work brings to life compelling human stories, and is currently focused on chronicling the vibrant Indo-Oz mate-ship.
