Kate Miltner

Dr. Kate Miltner is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Data, AI, and Society at the Information School of the University of Sheffield, where she also serves as Co-Director of the Digital Society Network. She is an active Member of the UK Young Academy and previously held a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Miltner received her PhD in Communication in 2019 from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. She also holds an MSc in Media and Communications (Merit) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in English (cum laude) from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Her research program explores critical questions about power and inequality in digital systems, institutions, and cultures. She investigates how power circulates through digital ecosystems, how structural inequalities are (re)produced within digital contexts, and how power and inequality shape experiences in digital spaces for different groups. Her work spans three interconnected research areas: Digital Cultures & Platform Politics, where she examines internet memes, influencer communities, and online misogyny; Digital Skills & Digital Economy, where she critically analyzes the "learn to code" phenomenon as the "coding fetish"; and (Generative) AI and Society, where she examines portrayals of generative AI in media and advertising.

Dr. Miltner's recent publications reveal a trajectory from analyzing foundational digital culture phenomena like GIFs and memes toward increasingly critical examinations of AI systems and their societal implications. Her work consistently demonstrates how seemingly trivial digital objects reflect significant power dynamics and structural inequalities. The most recent articles (2023-2024) focus on generative AI's societal impact, platformed solidarity, and the politics of digital representation.

• AHRC-BBC New Generation Thinkers scheme finalist (2024)

Dr. Miltner has held research appointments at Twitter and Microsoft Research New England, was a 2018 Joint Fellow at UC Berkeley's technology centers, and has served as a Guest Researcher at the University of Amsterdam. Before her academic career, she worked in social media strategy and advertising for nearly a decade in major agencies including Saatchi and Saatchi. Her industry experience informs her critical perspective on digital cultures and platforms. She is currently a co-investigator on the Framing Responsible AI Management (FRAIM) project funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Dr. Miltner is actively involved with the Digital Society Network at Sheffield and collaborates with institutions including the British Library, Open Data Institute, and Sheffield City Council on responsible AI implementation projects. Her work bridges academic research and practical applications in digital policy and platform governance.