What inspired you to join the alignAI project?

I was motivated to apply for the alignAI project because I believe in a world where advances in technology, science and knowledge are made under the overarching goal of promoting equity and equality. My previous work in research with people in remote communities and as a frontline worker in shelter services inspires me to think about the pitfalls and opportunities created by artificial intelligence when it comes to individuals who may be impacted by certain socio-technological gaps. As someone who was based solely in Canada before, I also wanted to join the alignAI team to be exposed to different perspectives through the secondments in different countries and working with the 16 other doctoral candidates from diverse backgrounds. My hope is that I can combine my professional experiences with my academic background in public health, policy and ethics to contribute to the team.

What is the focus of your research within alignAI?

My research will focus on identifying core values and requirements of the three user cases in positive mental health, education and online news consumption. I will mainly work horizontally across all three of the user cases, as well as with the researchers from the humanities and technical disciplines.

What excites you most about working at the intersection of AI and public health?

I see the identification of ethics and values as one of the crucial first steps in good policymaking, and  AI practices and policies are no exception to this. As with any other powerful technological development in human history, AI has the potential to reshape the way humans connect with technology in all sectors, as well as affect the wellbeing of people and the environment. To me, documenting the values underlying the three AI user cases in this project represents a broader opportunity to help lay the bounds for the ethical use and development of AI.

How do you see interdisciplinary collaboration shaping the future of AI, whether in your project or further?

In my view, it is absolutely necessary to have different people at the table. To me, and for my project, this translates to including people of varying disciplines, backgrounds, nationalities and lived experiences in a meaningful way where they are not only consulted, but have the power to change the trajectory of the project(s). I believe that it will also be critical to collaborate with scientists and individuals who can speak about the ways that non-human species and the environment are affected by the impacts of AI.

If you had to explain your research to a friend outside academia, how would you describe it?

I would describe the overall alignAI project as a collaboration between researchers of different disciplines and backgrounds to explore how AI, in particular LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini, can align with human values such as fairness and explainability. I usually tell others that my particular research in the alignAI project is to lay out core facts about what people find important when thinking about the use and development of AI, specifically thinking about the three user cases in positive mental health, education and online news consumption.

Where can people follow your work?

You can follow me on LinkedIn