Merve Hickok is the founder of AIethicist.org . She is a globally renowned, award-winning expert on AI policy, ethics and governance. Her contributions and perspective have featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, CNN, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wired, Scientific American, The Atlantic, Politico, Protocol, Vox, The Economist and MIT Technology Review.
She is a distinguished educator, consultant and keynote speaker. Her work focuses on impact of AI systems on individuals and society - particularly the impact on fundamental rights, democratic values, and social justice.
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Merve is the President and Policy Director at Center for AI & Digital Policy (CAIDP), deeply engaged in global AI policy and regulatory work. CAIDP educates AI policy practitioners and advocates across 80+ countries, and advises international organizations (such as European Commission, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, OECD). Merve is a policy expert, with testimony to the US Congress, State of California, New York City and Detroit City councils. She provides expert input to the Council of Europe Committee on AI for the upcoming AI convention, as well as EU AI Act.
At University of Michigan, she is the data ethics lecturer at School of Information, the Responsible Data and AI Advisor at Michigan Institute for Data Science, and an affiliated faculty at Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program).
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Merve also works with several non-profit organizations globally to advance both the academic and professional She has been recognized by a number of organizations - most recently with Lifetime Achievement Award - Women in AI of the Year - 2023 , Top AI Leaders in Retail (Ethics & Compliance) - 2024 , Runner-up for Responsible AI Leader of the Year - 2022 (Women in AI) and as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ – 2021.
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She provides consultancy and training to C-suite leaders, and public and private organizations on Responsible AI development, due diligence and governance. Previously, Merve held various senior roles in Fortune 100 companies for more than 15 years.
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Current Affiliations:
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President & 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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Responsible Data and AI Advisor at University of Michigan, Michigan Institute for Data & AI in Society (MIDAS)
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Affiliated Faculty, University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program)
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AI Expert, OECD.AI
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AI Expert, UNESCO Experts Without Borders
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Council on Foreign Relations - Hitachi International Affairs Fellow
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AI Expert, Council of Europe Committee on AI (representing CAIDP)
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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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Advisory board member at Women in AI Ethics Collective
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Advisor at Better Images of AI
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Fellow at ForHumanity Center working to draft framework for independent audit of AI systems
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P3110 Working Group member at IEEE, developing global standards on procurement of AI systems
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Consultant at High Sierra Industries, focused on product and project management of learning systems for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
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Former 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.
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PUBLICATIONS
CONTRIBUTIONS & COLLABORATIONS
Center for AI and Digital Policy
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Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values 2023 Index (published April 2024)
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Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values 2022 Index (published March 2023)
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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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A policy primer and roadmap on AI worker surveillance and productivity scoring tools
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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
Council on Foreign Relations: AI and Democratic Values: Next Steps for the United States
Council on Foreign Relations: The UK AI Summit: Time to Elevate Democratic Values
The New York Times (editorial): Regulating A.I.: The U.S. Needs to Act
The Economist (editorial): In response to ""How to worry wisely about artificial intelligence"
ISSUES in Science and Technology: Don’t Let Governments Buy AI Systems That Ignore Human Rights
Tech Policy Press: Time for An International Treaty on Artificial Intelligence
Techonomy: Can the U.S. and Europe agree on rules for AI?
Verfassungsblog: The Council of Europe Creates a Black Box for AI Policy
Transatlantic Policy Quarterly: The State of AI Policy: The Democratic Values Perspective
Turkish Data Protection Agency: Üretici Yapay Zekâ Neden Mahremiyet, Ön Yargı ve Siber Güvenlik Açısından Bir Kâbus OluÅŸturuyor?
The Hill: It’s time for the FTC to act on ChatGPT
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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:
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White House OMB: Written Comments for OMB's Draft Memorandum on federal use of AI
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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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State of California Civil Rights Council: Written Comments regarding modifications to Employment Regulations and Criminal History - August 2022
MEDIA COVERAGE
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The New York Times: 8 More Companies Pledge to Make A.I. Safe, White House Says
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Washington Post: She helped OpenAI win over world leaders. Can she keep the peace?
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The Atlantic: Before a Bot Steals Your Job, It Will Steal Your Name
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MIT Technology Review: AI companies promised the WH to self-regulate one year ago. What's changed?
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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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Newsweek: How AI Generates Both Climate Pollution and Solutions
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Wired: Joe Biden Wants US Government Algorithms Tested for Potential Harm Against Citizens
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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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CNN: The FTC should investigate OpenAI and block GPT over ‘deceptive’ behavior, AI policy group claims
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Venture Beat: The ‘World Cup’ of AI policy: will USA win?
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Venture Beat: Biden AI exec order rolls out to applause, concerns of overreach
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Venture Beat: OpenAI’s six-member board will decide ‘when we’ve attained AGI’
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Venture Beat: Verkada unveils privacy updates to its security system and cameras
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Scientific American: You can probably beat ChatGPT at these math teasers
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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
- Politico: U.S.-U.K. talks set to include AI
- Politico: Today’s Summit for Democracy is all about tech
- Politico: White House AI efforts spur industry support and concern
- The New Republic: Congress Is Racing to Catch Up With Artificial Intelligence
- Observer: ChatGPT Sparked Transatlantic Regulatory Threats for All Artificial Intelligence
- Forbes: How The FTC Could Slow OpenAI’s ChatGPT
- Forbes: Westworld-AI Scenario To Be Banned In Europe: leaked AI Regulations Reveal Course-Correction Away From Dystopian AI Future
- Bloomberg Law: ‘Robot Bosses’ Spur Lawmaker Push to Police AI Job Surveillance
- Bloomberg HT: Interview - Developments in AI
- Business Insider: Everything you're hearing right now about AI wiping out humans is a big con
- Vox: Inside the chaos at Washington’s most connected military tech startup
- The Lever: The Unknown Toll Of The AI Takeover
- ZDNet Japan: Addressing the risks of AI: Efforts towards ethical adoption
- ZDNet: Organizations are fighting for the ethical adoption of AI
- Vienna International News: Promotion of Democracy in the Age of AI by the U.S. Embassy in Vienna
- Geneva Graduate Institute: United Nations AI Resolution
- The European Association for Biometrics: Facial recognition use in public spaces under the microscope
- San Francisco Chronicle: This is where AI doesn’t belong, according to experts
- The Michigan Daily: MIDAS hosts forum on ethics in artificial intelligence
- Insider: I interviewed a breast-cancer survivor who wanted me to tell her story. She was actually an AI
- CIO Dive: Tech leaders react to White House executive order on AI
- arsTechnica: GPT-4 poses too many risks and releases should be halted, AI group tells FTC
- PC Mag: FTC Needs to Probe OpenAI and Halt GPT-4, Nonprofit Says
- University of Michigan, School of Information: AI has the power to undermine human rights. Congress must establish safeguards.
- MENA FN: Non-profit organization files complaint urging investigation into OpenAI's GPT models
- S&P Global Market Intelligence: Biden administration AI policy efforts to be complex balancing act in 2023
- Daily Beast: Would You Let Your Boss Track Your Sleep Schedule?
- 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
Women in AI - 2023
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