Merve Hickok is the founder of AIethicist.org and Lighthouse Career Consulting.
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She is a researcher, trainer, and consultant working on AI ethics, policy and regulation. She focuses on AI bias, impact of AI systems on fundamental rights, democratic values, and social justice. She provides consultancy and training services to private & public organizations on Responsible AI - ethical and responsible development, use and governance of AI.
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Merve is a Data Ethics Lecturer at University of Michigan. She is also Research Director at Center for AI & Digital Policy. The Center educates AI policy practitioners and advocates across ~60 countries and leads a research group which advises international organizations (such as European Commission, UNESCO, Council of Europe, etc) on AI policy and regulatory developments.
Merve also works with several non-profit organizations globally to advance both the academic and professional research in this field for underrepresented groups. She has been recognized by a number of organizations - most recently as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ – 2021, and as Runner-up for Responsible AI Leader of the Year - 2022 (Women in AI).
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Merve was previously a VP at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and held senior roles varying from Country HR Manager to International Lead on recruitment technologies, benchmarking, and diversity recruitment across 27 countries. She is also a Senior Certified Professional by SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) and Career Coach certified by Neuroleadership Institute.
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CURRENT AI-FOCUSED WORK:
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Chair & Research Director at Center for AI & Digital Policy
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Data Ethics Lecturer at University of Michigan, School of Information
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Founding editorial board member at Springer Nature AI & Ethics journal
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Advisory board member at Transatlantic Policy Quarterly
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Advisor at Better Images of AI
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Advisor at Civic Software Foundation
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Fellow at ForHumanity Center working to draft framework for independent audit of AI systems
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Mentor at Women in AI Ethics Collective
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Steering Committee Member at Start Access (organized by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD))
- Working Group member at Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P7008 & 2863 and IEC SEG10 Working Groups, developing global standards and frameworks on ethics of autonomous and intelligent systems, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration
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Member at Open Community for Ethics in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (OCEANIS) alongside national institutions.
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Consultant at High Sierra Industries, focused on product and project management of learning systems for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
She is a member of the board of directors for Northern Nevada International Center (University of Nevada-Reno). NNIC serves as Northern Nevada's refugee resettlement agency to help displaced persons and victims of human trafficking, as well as organizing programs for international delegations through the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies. It is among the top organizations in the United States hosting over a dozen U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs large exchange programs.
INDEPENDENT CONSULTING, TRAINING, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

TRAINING provided as:
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Ready-made modules or Customized training
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In-person, virtual or self-paced training
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Tailored for different levels across the organization:
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C-suite & Board of Directors
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Development & Implementation teams
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Procurement teams
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Training/support programs for individuals, teams, and external partners (workforce capacity building / RAI literacy)
CONSULTING / ADVISORY / COACHING
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AI Policy and Regulation Landscape
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Responsible AI (RAI) Governance Strategy Roadmap
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RAI Assurance
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RAI Product Development / Red Teaming
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AI Procurement Due Diligence
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Automated Employment Decision Tools
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RESPONSIBLE AI & AI ETHICS TRAINING:
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Responsible AI for Leaders
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Responsible AI for Public Sector
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Deep Dive into AI Ethics Principles, Fundamental Rights, Social Justice
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AI & Data Bias. How to Mitigate Bias?
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Explainable AI (XAI)
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AI & Disability
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Responsible AI for Human Resources (HR)
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Bias in Facial Recognition, Object Recognition, Natural Language Processing Systems, Sentiment Analysis
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Surveillance Systems & Fundamental Rights
PUBLICATIONS
CONTRIBUTIONS & COLLABORATIONS
Center for AI and Digital Policy
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Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values 2021 Index - Comparative Country Reports
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Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values 2020 Index - Comparative Country Reports
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Springer Nature: AI & Ethics journal
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Lessons learned from AI ethics principles for future actions
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Towards intellectual freedom in an AI Ethics Global Community
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Springer Nature: AI & Society journal
Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics
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SocArXiv
Transatlantic Policy Quarterly: The State of AI Policy: The Democratic Values Perspective
Council on Foreign Relations: AI and Democratic Values: Next Steps for the United States
Techonomy: Can the U.S. and Europe agree on rules for AI?
Verfassungsblog: The Council of Europe Creates a Black Box for AI Policy
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Medium
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What does an AI Ethicist do? A Guide for the Why, the What and the How.
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Why was your job application rejected: Bias in Recruitment Algorithms?
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NYC Bias Audit Law: Clock ticking for Employers and HR Talent Technology Vendors
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United Nations
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International Organization for Migration
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Oxford Insights
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NYU Center on International Cooperation
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University of Buckingham - Institute for Ethical AI in Education
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All Tech is Human
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The Business Case for AI Ethics: Moving From Theory to Action
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Guide to Responsible Tech: How to Get Involved & Build a Better Tech Future
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AI & Human Rights: Building a Tech Future Aligned with Public Interest
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Public Comments to Legislation
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US Congress Testimony: Expert testimony on the topic "Advances in AI: Are we ready for the tech revolution."
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White House OSTP: Written Comments for Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights
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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Written Recommendations for Strategic Enforcement Plan
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New York City Department of Consumer & Worker Protection: Written Comments regarding NYC legislation on Automated Employment Decision Tools (Local Law 144) - June 2022
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New York City Department of Consumer & Worker Protection: Written Comments regarding NYC Local Law 144 - October 2022
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New York City Department of Consumer & Worker Protection: Written Comments regarding NYC Local Law 144 - January 2023
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California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, Civil Rights Council: Written Comments regarding modifications to Employment Regulations and Criminal History - August 2022
MEDIA COVERAGE
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Guardian: ‘Bossware is coming for almost every worker’: the software you might not realize is watching you
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Wired: Chatbots Got Big—and Their Ethical Red Flags Got Bigger
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Wired: Why scientists are building AI-powered avatars of the dead
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Protocol: How will this AI critic influence Biden’s policies? The clues are hiding in plain sight
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Protocol: Inside Eric Schmidt’s push to profit from an AI cold war with China
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Politico: The AI 'gold rush' in Washington
- Vox: Inside the chaos at Washington’s most connected military tech startup
- S&P Global Market Intelligence: Biden administration AI policy efforts to be complex balancing act in 2023
- The Cyber Express: Artificial Intelligence and The Top 6 Business Risks
- Welcome to the Jungle: A recruiting revolution: why did NYC delay its landmark AI bias law?
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Security Boulevard: CPDP 2021 – Moderator: Merve Hickok ‘AI Regulation In Europe & Fundamental Rights’
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SHRM: Regulations Ahead on AI
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HR Brew: NYC’s bill to regulate automated hiring software faces challenges
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HR Brew: The federal government is warning employers that hiring AI must comply with civil rights laws
- Medium: Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence: An Interview with Merve Hickok
- Medium: #IamthefutureofAI Series: Merve Hickok
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Montreal AI Ethics Institute: The Future of Teaching Tech Ethics
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Tortoise & Kainos: The future of trust in artificial intelligence
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IndiaAI: Moonshot Dream
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AWARDS & RECOGNITION





DIET: Data and Diversity, Inclusion and Impact, Ethics and Equity in Teams and Technology







CONFERENCES, WEBINARS, PODCASTS














Monitoring Big Tech on the Standards of Social Contract for the AI Age

























UCL The Algo Conference








































