Alison Powell

Dr Alison Powell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), serving as Programme Director for the MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society). Her research focuses on technology design, public sector technology, and digital futures. She is known for her book Undoing Optimization: Civic Action in Smart Cities (2021) and her participatory research method, data walking. From 2019–2023, she directed the JUST AI network, supported by the Ada Lovelace Institute and UKRI, advancing AI ethics research. Her work integrates critical theory, participatory methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Education: PhD in Communication from Concordia University (Canada), MA in Media Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University, and postdoctoral research at the Oxford Internet Institute. Prior to academia, she worked in the film and TV industry.

Research interests include civic engagement in data-driven governance, ethical AI, and participatory urbanism. She has advised projects like Africa Just AI and Operationalising Ethics for AI, funded by Horizon Europe, AHRC, and the Open Society Foundations.

Her articles address topics such as AI governance, urban light ecology, feminist research praxis, and the ethical implications of technology for marginalized communities. She contributes to blogs like Media@LSE and leads initiatives at Polis and the LSE’s Digital Futures for Children project.

Grants and collaborations include work with Projects by IF, Open Rights Group, and the Human Data Interactions Network (EPSRC). She explores intersections of technology, justice, and sustainability, emphasizing equitable and inclusive innovation.