The Future With AI: Policies, Ethics, and Governance (hybrid)

Join In-Person or Virtually with Captions, Free and Open to All

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept—it's a prevailing force shaping nearly every aspect of our lives. Join UVA experts Renée Cummings, School of Data Science, and Mona Sloane, School of Data Science & Media Studies, and moderator Michael Palmer, Center for Teaching Excellence, for a thought-provoking conversation on the policies, ethics, and governance shaping AI’s future. From cutting-edge research to student-led innovation, this session explores how we can guide AI responsibly.

Renée Cummings, Assistant Professor of Practice in Data Science, School of Data Science

Renée Cummings, a 2023 VentureBeat AI Innovator Award winner, is an artificial intelligence (AI), data, and tech ethicist, and the first Data Activist-in-Residence at the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, where she was named Professor of Practice in Data Science. She also serves as co-director of the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) at UVA. Cummings is a nonresident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and the inaugural Senior Fellow, AI, Data and Public Policy at All Tech Is Human, a leading think tank. She’s also a distinguished member of the World Economic Forum’s Data Equity Council and the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance, an advisory council member for the AI & Equality Initiative at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and a member of the Global Academic Network at the Center for AI and Digital Policy. Cummings is also a criminologist, criminal psychologist, therapeutic jurisprudence specialist, and a community scholar at Columbia University.

Committed to stretching the imagination of data science, reimagining the relationship between data and society, and redefining the data power structure, she works at the intersection of technology, power, and society. She examines the ethical implications of data on society, exploring the impact of AI on duty of care and due process, expanding our understanding of the ethical risks of AI and how to build ethically resilient, rewarding, responsible, sustainable, justice-oriented, and trauma-informed AI for the benefit of all. At the School of Data Science, her research focuses on data justice, data trauma, algorithmic policing, surveillance technology, and AI for criminal justice reform by using data to enhance police accountability and transparency and to improve police practices, fairness, and decision-making accuracy through community engagement and public interest technology. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are critical aspects of her work as she promotes inclusive innovation and ethical, responsible, and trustworthy AI. Learn more here: https://datascience.virginia.edu/people/renee-cummings

Mona Sloane, Assistant Professor of Data Science, School of Data Science; Assistant Professor of Media Studies, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Mona Sloane is an Assistant Professor of Data Science and Media Studies at the University of Virginia. As a sociologist, she studies the intersection of technology and society, specifically in the context of AI design, use, and policy. Sloane is a Faculty Lead in the Digital Technology and Democracy Lab at the Karsh Institute of Democracy, Affiliated Faculty with the Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality, and Faculty Affiliate with the Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment (TYDE) research initiative. She also convenes the Co-Opting AI series and serves as the editor of the Co-Opting AI book series at the University of California Press as well as the Technology Editor for Public Books. Mona’s growing research group Sloane Lab conducts empirical research on the implications of technology for the organization of social life. Its focus lies on AI as a social phenomenon that intersects with wider cultural, economic, material, and political conditions. The lab spearheads social science leadership in applied work on responsible AI, public scholarship, and technology policy. Learn more here: monasloane.org.

Michael Palmer, Barbara Fried Director, Center for Teaching Excellence (Moderator)

Michael Palmer joined the Center for Teaching Excellence in the Fall of 2003. As director, he leads a dynamic team committed to supporting efforts to expand equity-informed and inclusive teaching praxis; improve students' learning, engagement, and sense of belonging; and increase instructors' joy in teaching. His educational development research is broad and has focused on topics such as teaching consultation techniques, graduate student professional development, course design initiatives and the impact intense instructional development activities have on teacher beliefs and practices, alternative grading techniques, and pedagogical innovation. His scholarly work and professional contributions have been recognized nationally by the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD Network), including three Innovation Awards, the Robert J. Menges Award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development, and the Bob Pierleoni Spirit of POD Award, the organization's highest award, akin to a lifetime achievement award. Michael currently teaches 1st- and 2nd-year seminars on the science of learning, pedagogy, "living your best college life," and infinity. His co-authored book, Developing High-Impact Course Design Institutes: A Model for Change, was published in early 2025.

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This Lifetime Learning program is part of the faculty lecture series. On the mornings of home football games, hear from some of UVA’s top minds.

All talks are free, open to all, and held in-person and virtually at 10 am.

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