BRIDGING TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
AI Societal Impact Lab's mission is to explore how the rapid advancement of AI is impacting human societies by engaging with political, sociological, ethical, and regulatory aspects, as well as AI governance. We seek to connect individuals from different backgrounds to encourage an informed global dialogue on AI shaped by expertise, insight, and innovation.
Recent Publications
Exploring the intersection of AI and human society through rigorous thinking and original research.
This expert opinion argues that the OSINT community broadly supports AI adoption but lacks clarity on implementation, hampered by a skills gap from humanities-heavy hiring and vague workflow guidelines. Ethical risks remain underdiscussed, which calls for collective dialogue to establish shared standards.
This piece examines Russia's proposed AI legislation, tracing how the "sovereign AI" bill requiring Russian-only data and developers was softened after industry pushback. It argues the retreat is temporary: the state's appetite for isolation and control will ultimately outweigh business needs.
Drawing on the academic literature on digital authoritarianism, AI-tocracy, and state legibility, this essay argues that AI may normalize authoritarian control through administration rather than only intensify spectacular repression. The danger is not that AI automatically makes authoritarianism stronger, but that coercion may become harder to recognize.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated enthusiasts committed to understanding and shaping the future of AI for the public good.
Olena Shumska
Founder
Olena brings seven years of experience in policy analysis and open-source intelligence, spanning areas such as illicit weapons trafficking, financial crime, public safety, private investigations, and cybersecurity. She was an Emerging Expert with the DC-based Forum on the Arms Trade from 2021 to 2023.
Fascinated by the impact of emerging technology on the nature of war, the essence of security, and its ramifications for intelligence and research work, she decided to start the AI Societal Impact Lab to create a space for discussing what technological advancement might mean for human societies.
Olena holds Master's degrees in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Oxford and in International History from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
Dr. Jamie Edwards
Fellow
Jamie recently completed a PhD in area studies at the University of Oxford. His dissertation looked at the socio-economic aspects of the Russian Army. At Oxford, he taught courses on politics and quantitative research methods. Jamie is interested in AI ethics, particularly how its integration into advanced academic research and everyday life raises questions of accountability, transparency, and impact.
Jamie also holds an MPhil in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Oxford.
Elodie Hainard
Fellow
Elodie brings experience on conflict-affected areas, including several years of work in Sub-Saharan Africa. Elodie is drawn to questions around AI and global inequalities, datacolonialism, the impact of AI on labor in 'developing' economies, and how emerging technologies are reshaping humanitarian work. She also runs her own Switzerland-based consulting firm called Target Advisory.
Elodie holds a Master’s in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
Mani Nouri
FELLOW
Mani is a teaching and a research assistant in political science at the University of Toronto. His dissertation looks at the relations between Iran and the Western countries. He is curious about exploring where technology and authoritarian regimes collide, as well as the institutional aspects of AI governance. One of his current research projects engages with the impact of Chinese LLMs in Kazakhstan.
Mani also holds a Master's in Political Science and Government from University of Concordia.