Michael Richardson

Michael Richardson is an Associate Professor of Media at UNSW Sydney, where he co-directs the Media Futures Hub and Autonomous Media Lab. He is also an Associate Investigator with the ARC Centre of Excellence on Automated Decision-Making + Society, focusing on critical intersections of technology, war, and society.

His educational background includes a BA Hons from the University of New South Wales, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a PhD from Western Sydney University, forming the foundation for his transdisciplinary approach.

Richardson's research examines technology, violence, and affect in war, security, and surveillance contexts. His work spans drone warfare, algorithmic culture, militarization of society, literary trauma, and witnessing practices. He approaches these topics through frameworks drawn from media studies, cultural studies, literature, and international relations, creating a rich interdisciplinary perspective on contemporary technological and political challenges.

His scholarly publications reveal consistent exploration of how emerging technologies reshape human experience, particularly in contexts of violence and trauma. The progression from his 2016 work on literary testimony to his 2024 book on nonhuman witnessing demonstrates an evolving focus from human-centered testimony to the complex ways data and algorithms mediate contemporary experiences of war and ecological crisis.

Scientific recognition includes:

• 2020 ABC Top 5 Humanities Researcher
• 2020 Dean's Research Award for Early Career Achievement
• 2018 Dean's Teaching Award for Excellent Early Career Teacher
• 2017 Dean's Research Award for Best Monograph

Richardson actively supervises five PhD students working on cutting-edge topics at the intersection of technology, affect, and society. His research has secured significant funding including an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE190100486) for 'Drone Witnessing: Technologies of Perception in War and Culture' ($363,182) with total external funding exceeding AUD$450,000. As a public intellectual, he regularly contributes to non-academic outlets including ABC News and The Conversation.

Through the Media Futures Hub and Autonomous Media Lab, Richardson fosters collaborative research environments where scholars and practitioners explore the cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of emerging technologies.