Artificial intelligence specialist Shae Parsons is one of 71 contestants from around the world who competed in the Miss Global pageant in Thailand this month.
Parsons, who is the titleholder of Miss Global New Zealand 2026, says, “It was an honour to represent my country, especially being a wahine Māori to take some of my heritage, to take the pride of my people with me.”
Contestants were judged in the interview, evening gown, and national costume. Parsons was proud to wear taonga Māori throughout the competition, including pounamu and kākahu, and her national costume, named Mānuka Honey that represented part of her whakapapa.
“My national costume was inspired by my koro and how he had bees and kept bees, and our deep connection to the land,” says Parsons.
“I didn’t feel like it was just me on that stage. I felt like all of my whānau were there too. It’s that sense of doing something that’s almost bigger than yourself, so that was really special.”
The purpose of Miss Global is to empower women by giving them a global platform to express their individuality, intelligence, culture and social impact.
“It’s about embodying a modern kind of woman. It’s not about your background - whether you’re married, whether you have kids - it’s about how are you using the unique experiences, gifts, and skills that you have as a woman in the modern age to inspire others.”
Parsons was proud to bring her experience in artificial intelligence (AI) as a unique attribute.
“All of these women have these incredible careers and achievements, and it’s been really amazing learning about them. For me, I do think I bring a unique experience in terms of the career I’m in, the industry I’m in, working in AI for a large fashion brand I know that gives me a really unique perspective on almost the business side of pageantry.”
Parsons works as a data and AI project manager at Country Road Group, helping the business modernise through data, digital tools and AI.
“I have been leading AI pilots across different teams, supporting people to explore how technology can improve the way we work while building on the legacy of some of Australia and New Zealand’s most loved brands.”
Parsons acknowledges the controversy associated with AI, but also how it can be widely misunderstood.
“My career in AI is not necessarily about the technology; it’s about the people behind it, which is why it’s so important to have diverse voices in the room when you’re designing and creating AI products, and that ultimately could marginalise communities even further. So having that representation from a variety of different backgrounds is really important.”
Parsons holds a Master of Computer and Information Science with First Class Honours, as well as a Bachelor of Business in International Business and Strategy and a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Public Relations.
She has also been involved in advocacy roles across the AI and STEM space, including Kāhui Māori within the AI Forum New Zealand and leads a student engagement team at Women4STEM Australia. She was also nominated in the Māori and Pasifika category at the 2025 Aotearoa AI Awards.
“One of the main drivers for why I’m putting myself out here is I really want to see more young wāhine Māori go into their fields, pursue what they want to, to know that they can embrace it all, they can embrace being feminine, they can embrace their culture and their nerdy hobbies.”
After arriving home to Aotearoa, Parsons plans to continue mentoring young women one-on-one through First Foundation New Zealand and continue her involvement with Women4STEM Australia, helping support students as they graduate and begin building careers in STEM.
