Dame Wendy Hall

Dame Wendy Hall is the Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton. An internationally recognised expert in AI, data science and web science, she was one of the first to pioneer hypermedia and multimedia. A role model for women in STEM, Wendy’s fascinating career progression and contributions to AI are inspirational. Breaking boundaries in computer science, Wendy now delivers insightful presentations on the future applications and implications of AI.

Making breakthroughs in hypermedia systems in the 1980s, Wendy was a member of the team that developed the Microcosm Hypermedia System, a predecessor to the World Wide Web. As a globally renowned thought leader in multimedia and hypermedia, she became the first female Professor of Engineering at the University of Southampton in 1994. An authority on web science, she co-founded the Web Science Research Initiative and became Managing Director of the Web Science Trust. Wendy also served as Co-Chair of the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Review.

The former Senior Vice President of the Academy of Engineering and Member of the UK Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, Wendy is a leading figure in computer science. A role model for aspiring computer scientists, she has held memberships at several prestigious organisations, including the UK Government’s AI Council, the Global Commission on Internet Governance and the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on the Digital Economy. She was also a founding Member of the European Research Council.

In recognition of her contributions to technology, Wendy was appointed DBE in 2009. The recipient of several awards and accolades, she received the Suffrage Science Award, the Anita Borg Award for Technical Leadership and was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the UK by Woman’s Hour. A celebrated figure in computer science, Wendy held several fellowships at leading organisations, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Computer Society. An exceptional orator, Wendy gave a captivating TED Talk titled A Personal Story Behind the Evolution of the Web. Now highly sought-after for speaking engagements, Wendy is outspoken about the threat of AI on democracy.