Empathy in AI Leadership: A Technologist’s Perspective

The central question in technology today revolves around who we are building for and who shapes its development, according to a woman technologist.

Driven by curiosity, she initially viewed technology as a problem-solving tool and now feels a sense of responsibility to ensure technology serves people.

Early in her career, she focused on engineering, working on database internals and complex systems. However, interacting with clients and leading teams revealed that every technical issue has a human element, such as a customer completing a purchase or a developer building at speed. This realization reshaped her leadership approach.

Her career has spanned industries, including services, retail, and banking. She took a career break, which she describes as a reset. She returned with a focus on problem-solving, leading Omnichannel Cart and Checkout platforms at Lowe’s India, supporting customer journeys.

She emphasizes that leadership is about asking better questions and notes the rapid advancement and high expectations surrounding AI.

Her teams begin by considering who will benefit from AI and how. At Lowe’s India, AI is used to augment human capabilities by streamlining quote generation for store associates, personalizing customer outreach, and improving developer productivity. She asserts that AI can optimize but lacks empathy, a responsibility that falls to leaders and builders.

She notes that women influence numerous consumer decisions daily, building a valuable leadership perspective. She recalled an instance where she identified friction in the customer journey that was not evident in dashboards, leading to a systems rethink and a more seamless customer experience.

In the age of AI, leadership requires connecting data, context, and lived experience, along with ethical judgment and inclusion, and diverse leadership, especially women in senior technology roles, becomes critical for responsible and equitable AI.

She encourages women in technology to recognize the value of their voices, empathy, intuition, and perspective, advocating for leaders who balance ambition with accountability and innovation with intention.

Her leadership philosophy centers on bold innovation, responsible leadership, and deep care, emphasizing that the future of AI will be shaped by the values of its creators and leaders.

At Lowe’s India, she says they are committed to amplifying human potential and empowering teams, building a future grounded in purpose, one decision, team, and human moment at a time.

Meghana Mayya is Senior Director – Technology at Lowe’s India.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)