Current Research

I lead the Australian National University (ANU) Justice and Technoscience Lab (JusTech), a group of scholars working to advance more equitable approaches to science and technology governance. Lab members have carried out studies in several domains, including government services, health promotion, humanitarianism, organized sports, public safety, and welfare provision. My current projects focus on:

Digital Public Infrastructure and Social Protection

Automated systems, biometrics, digital data, predictive analytics, and risk assessment models are increasingly used in accessing social assistance, often in the name of cost savings and fraud prevention. They are also tools being institutionalized through digital public infrastructure (DPI). We ask: how is DPI shaping experiences on the ground, and what are the implications for governance? Jenna Imad Harb and I have studied humanitarian aid and social welfare practices in Australia, India, and Lebanon and are editing a book on the rise of digital welfare states, which is forthcoming with Oxford University Press.

State-led Language Model Development and Governance

This project examines specific government plans that include the development of language models as part of larger national artificial intelligence (AI) strategies in Southeast Asia. Sarah Logan and I situate questions about the push for these and related forms of AI development within discussions of state interests and governance systems, considering how participatory engagement with communities traditionally not included in AI design might be possible. We hope to provide insights that not only shed light on strategies for building sovereign AI but also help guide human-centered AI practices that are attentive to the distinct conditions and needs of groups that can be marginalized in these efforts.