Biografía Cian O'Donovan

I'm Director of the new UCL Centre for Responsible Innovation. The cross-university centre launches in early 2025 and is housed at UCL's Department of Science and Technology Studies.

Through research and teaching I explore and explain digital change in today's world and how it could be different. I use social science methods and ideas such as innovation democracy and human capabilities to tell stories about who benefits from technologies like AI, robotics and digital systems in different places; who is driving and steering change, and with what impacts for people and planet, negative and positive.

I also do my best to ensure this research contributes to public engagement and movement building that can challenge powerful interests and achieve a more sustainable and fairer world. That means contributing to policy processes, government consultations and making sure my undergraduate and graduate students develop the capabilities they need to get involved in shaping society themselves. In 2014 I co-founded Uplift, Ireland's largest people-powered digital advocacy organisation for progressive social change, where as board chair I advised on strategy and governance until 2022.