London Tech Week: How women are leading in AI and why inclusion is important for innovators

An all female panel at London Tech Week shared how their work in technology is shaping retail’s future - and why inclusion should be a priority for all organisations.

Oge Opara-Nadi, Vice President of Engineering at fashion search engine Hey Savii, explained her company’s innovative platform as “Shazam meets Spotify, but for fashion”. The personalised, AI powered platform seamlessly connects customers and retailers, helping users find the exact fashion item they want, in stock and in their size.

She said one of the biggest challenges for AI use in retail is “the mystery around it,” with many companies struggling to describe precisely which mechanisms are powering the latest innovations.

Rosie Bailey, CEO and Co-Founder at AI powered negotiation platform Nibble, said that many people are surprised by the simplicity of the technology powering platforms such as hers. “Nothing is that complicated under the hood,” she said.

A growing concern for many on the panel was the role of ethics in AI. Bailey said Nibble only wrote its policy on ethics in response to a client request. She explained the resulting document reads much like a prompt for AI.

She also highlighted the example of one client asking to give their AI negotiator the same name as one of their most popular customer service providers. “How would consumers feel when they learn that they’ve not actually been talking to her but an AI assistant?” Bailey asked.

Janet Bastiman, Chief Data Scientist at anti-money laundering software Napier Ai, also said ethics is a continuing challenge in AI. “You’re essentially taking individuals’ data and using it for the good of many - we have to ask ourselves: Is that okay?” she explained, adding that many consumers are not aware that their data is already being used to train AI systems.

Bastiman also raised the issue of diversity in technology teams. She explained that money laundering policies have previously flagged single parents as suspicious, simply because they hit some similar touch points when handling money. “If that’s not your experience, you won’t see it,” she said, emphasising the need for professionals with a wide range of experience and backgrounds.

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.

This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.

Please email our Editor, Scott Thompson, if you have any questions or need further information: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com

Key 2025 dates

Friday, 18th July: Award entry deadline

Tuesday, 22nd July: 2025 finalists revealed

Wednesday, 23rd July - Friday, 8th August: Judging days

Wednesday, 3rd September: Winners announced at the 2025 RTIH AI in Retail Awards Ceremony, to be held at The Barbican in Central London.

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