Aya Lowe

With 15 years’ experience across APAC and the Middle East, including work with Meta and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Aya brings a timely perspective on AI safety, misinformation, online harms, and responsible technology governance. Her work focuses on helping organisations understand how technology, regulation, safety, and public trust intersect — particularly in fast-moving and high-risk environments across the region. She is currently launching Dawnwork Advisory, an advisory focused on AI safety, online harms, and responsible technology governance.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I’m a Risky Woman because I’ve spent much of my career helping people and organisations understand and navigate complex risks in rapidly changing environments.

My work has spanned journalism, technology, trust and safety, online safety regulation, and AI governance and safety. Across those roles, I’ve helped organisations respond to misinformation, emerging technologies, platform integrity challenges, regulatory change, and the human impacts of digital risk.

What draws me to risk is that it’s ultimately about people. Behind every risk register, policy, or governance framework are real decisions that affect communities, organisations, and public trust. I enjoy translating complex issues into practical action, helping leaders make informed decisions, and building bridges between technical experts, policymakers, and the public.

Being a Risky Woman also means being part of a community of women who are shaping how organisations anticipate, manage, and communicate risk in an increasingly uncertain world.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Building an insights function at Australia’s eSafety Commissioner – I established the organisation’s first dedicated insights function, creating products and processes that helped leadership, policy teams, and government stakeholders better understand emerging technology risks. The work informed regulatory decision-making on issues including AI, synthetic media, age assurance, and child safety.
2. Leading integrity and trust initiatives across Asia-Pacific at Meta – As Regional Lead for Integrity Partnerships and Programs, I managed relationships across 16 APAC markets, working with fact-checkers, news organisations, and civil society partners. I helped coordinate responses to misinformation, elections, and major crisis events, supporting efforts to protect information integrity at scale.
3. Building a career at the intersection of media, technology, and governance – Over the past 15 years, I’ve successfully navigated multiple career transitions- from international journalism to technology, trust and safety, online safety regulation, and AI governance. This diverse background allows me to bridge communication, policy, operational, and governance perspectives when tackling complex risks.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Leaving a successful journalism career to join the then-emerging field of trust and safety at Meta. At the time, few people understood the profession or where it would lead. That decision opened the door to a career spanning online safety, digital trust, and AI governance, helping shape responses to some of today’s most complex risks. My career has been more of a squiggly path than as upward trajectory- but it’s also been interesting and driven by passion!

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I love running in unusual places. I’ve completed a half marathon in North Korea and an ultramarathon across the Mongolian steppe.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Being comfortable with uncertainty. Risk leaders rarely have all the answers, but they can assess what’s known, communicate clearly, and make sound decisions even when the path ahead isn’t certain.