AI Policy Fellowship Publications
The Mila AI Policy Fellowship translates deep AI expertise into rigorous, public-interest policy work, and these publications are the result.
Each piece of content in this library is a contribution from our first cohort, researchers and professionals from public policy, the social sciences, the humanities, and related fields who, over the course of a six-month fellowship, worked alongside Mila AI advisors to address pressing AI policy issues.
Together, they produced actionable insights across seven thematic areas: AI safety and governance, adoption and productivity, media and democracy, substantive equality, climate, Indigenous rights, and innovation in the public sector.
Browse the publications below, and meet the Fellows behind them.
Policy Publications
Designing AI Safer Chatbots
by Helen Hayes with the support of Mila AI Advisors Adam Oberman and Taylor Curtis
Policy considerations at the intersection of Quantum Technology and Artificial Intelligence
By Padmapriya Mohan with the support of Anna Jahn, Sally Guy and Henri Vilandré
Meet the Fellows 2025-2026
Sarah Bérubé
Policy Analyst - M.A. in Public Management Candidate, Johns Hopkins University
Sarah Bérubé is a policy analyst focused on technology policy, public governance, and international relations. A 2025–2026 Fulbright Student, she is pursuing an M.A. in Public Management at Johns Hopkins University. She has worked for the OECD AI team and spent seven years with the Government of Canada. Sarah began her career in the Advanced Policy Analysts Program and holds degrees in international relations (B.A. and M.A.) from Laval University.
Mila AI Advisor: Ulrich Aivodji
Project: Exploring the Use of AI to Design and Develop More Efficiently Digital User-Centred Public Services.
Adio-Adet Dinika
Research Fellow, The Distributed AI Research Institute
Dr. Adio-Adet Dinika is a political scientist and AI researcher co-leading the Data Workers Inquiry at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). His research focuses on AI labour, digital colonialism, and epistemic justice from a worker-centred perspective. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences. A former platform worker, he combines activism and scholarship, with writing featured in Noema Magazine, Africa in Fact, and peer-reviewed journals.
Mila AI Advisors: Ulrich Aivodji and Matt Kusner
Project: Governing AI From Below: Worker-Centred Frameworks for Global Algorithmic Safety and Accountability
Noah Favel
Legal Professional and Sr AI Advisor to the National Chief of Canada
Noah Favel is a legal professional and Senior AI Advisor to the National Chief of Canada. He holds a PhD at McGill University researching AI-driven learning systems to improve education. With a background in law and education, he designs adaptive tools for youth and explores AI's ethical impacts. He also serves as Senior Advisor in AI to the National Chief of Canada, studying and designing AI systems for legal and education institutions. Originally from Saskatchewan, Noah is a status member of Poundmaker Cree Nation, Treaty 6, with family roots in Britain.
Mila AI Advisor: Matt Kusner and David Ifeoluwa Adelani
Project: Using AI to Reduce Legal and Consultancy Fees for Indigenous People in Canada.
Elyas Felfoul
WISE Partnerships & EdTech Accelerator, Brain Trust XPRIZE, Strategic Committee UM6P DeepTech Summit
Elyas Felfoul is a global leader in education technology, innovation and policy. He directs the WISE Summit and leads partnerships for the WISE EdTech Accelerator. With expertise in EdTech, public policy, M&A, and international partnerships, he has supported over 50 ventures and advised global leaders. Elyas is part of XPRIZE’s Brain Trust, UM6P’s Deep Tech Platform, and World in 2050. He holds degrees from the University of Sherbrooke and NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School.
Mila AI Advisor: David Ifeoluwa Adelani
Project: AI and Education Futures: Workforce Equity, Inclusion, and Readiness in the MENA Region
Helen Hayes
Associate Director, Policy, The Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, Doctoral Candidate in Communication Studies at McGill University
Associate Director of Policy at the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, Helen Hayes is a Doctoral Candidate in Communication Studies at McGill University, researching the governance of AI and digital technologies. A Senior Fellow at the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, she focuses on tech policy, online harms, social media regulation and AI governance. Her work appears in top journals and edited volumes. She holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. in Communication Studies from McGill University.
Mila AI Advisors: Adam Oberman, Taylor Curtis
Project: Designing AI Safer Chatbots: Policy Pathways to Protect Young People in Conversational AI Ecosystems
Nancy Kimayo
Evaluation Specialist, World Food Programme in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya
Nancy Kimaiyo is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist with over seven years of experience across humanitarian and development programs in Eastern Africa. She currently supports the World Food Programme in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya, focusing on food security, resilience, and data systems. Nancy emphasizes ethical, community-led data practices in fragile contexts. She holds a Master’s in Monitoring and Evaluation and has led evaluations on climate adaptation, forest restoration, and livelihoods, bridging data, technology, and inclusive policy.
Mila AI Advisors: Alex Hernandez and David Rolnick
Project: Harnessing AI-Driven Data for Climate-Resilient Humanitarian Decision-Making in Eastern Africa
Hause Lin
Computational Social Scientist, MIT
Hause Lin is a computational social scientist at MIT who investigates how AI systems shape information ecosystems and human decision making. Through large-scale experiments and collaborations with industry partners like Google, Meta, the World Bank Group, and the UK AI Safety Institute, he develops and tests solutions to promote healthier online environments. His interdisciplinary research translates scientific insights into actionable solutions that improve decision-making and address critical societal issues arising from new technologies.
Mila AI Advisors: Taylor Curtis, Kellin Pelrine, Derek Nowrouzezahrai and Jean-Francois Godbout
Project: AI political persuasion: Translating evidence into democratic governance policy
Lisa Mah
Action Canada Fellow, Previously Director of Ventures, Creative Destruction Lab
Lisa (Yeon-Ju) Mah is an entrepreneur and artist working at the intersection of creativity, technology, and impact. She brings over six years of experience with deep-tech startups and was Director of Ventures at the Creative Destruction Lab, University of Toronto, helping commercialize research into scalable ventures.
An Action Canada Fellow, she co-authored a report on critical minerals featured in national publications, including the Canadian Mining Journal and Canada's National Observer. Lisa’s interdisciplinary foundation includes business, neuroscience coursework at the master’s level, and a fashion design program in Italy.
Mila AI Advisor: Glen Berseth
Project: AI Policy for Critical Mineral Recovery and Circular Economy in Mine Tailings
Maartje Nugteren
Responsible AI Manager, Microsoft AI
Maartje Nugteren is an AI policy expert with deep experience in AI governance, international engagement, and policy development across government and industry. She led global AI policy initiatives at Meta and previously served as Head of International at the UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, representing the UK at the OECD and Council of Europe. Maartje holds an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Mila AI Advisors: Damiano Fonasiere and Matt MacDermott
Project: Oversight and Accountability in Inter-Agent Communication and Interaction in AI Systems
Zhongtian Sun
AI Lecturer, University of Kent, Co-founder and CTO of an AI-for-finance startup
Dr. Zhongtian Sun is a Lecturer in AI at the University of Kent, specializing in graph representation learning, explainable AI, and LLMs. His research enhances deep learning reasoning for applications in healthcare, finance, and education. He holds a PhD from Durham University and has conducted research at Cambridge, Oxford, and the Alan Turing Institute. Dr. Sun is Co-founder and CTO of an AI-for-finance startup and serves in leadership roles at conferences like ECAI and ICLR.
Mila AI Advisors: Pierre-Luc St-Charles and David Krueger
Project: Detecting Infrastructure-Level Risks in Agentic AI: Unsafe Delegation, Emergent Deception, and Goal Misalignment
Moritz von Knebel
Chief of Staff, Institute for Law & AI
Moritz von Knebel works at the intersection of technology, policy, and geopolitics. He is Chief of Staff at the Institute for Law and AI and a non-resident Fellow at fp21, the Portulans Institute, and the Oxford China Policy Lab. His research has been recognized by the UN Foundation, DAAD and the Mercator Fellowship. Moritz has worked across four continents and consults for the OECD. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and featured at global conferences.
Mila AI Advisors: David Krueger and Damiano Fornasiere
Project: Future-Proof and Democratic: Designing Institutions for Governing Artificial Intelligence
Christopher Wegemer
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California
Dr. Christopher Wegemer is a Postdoctoral Researcher at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. His current research investigates how adaptive learning technologies shape political polarization. He has published more than thirty studies, and his work has informed policy and practice through partnerships with educational and activist organizations. He holds a PhD in Education, along with degrees in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, and Global Studies. At UCLA, he teaches courses on data science, social networks, and global movements.
Mila AI Advisors: Laurent Charlin and Jean-Francois Godbout
Project: Adaptive AI, Youth Political Development, and Democracy: The Governance Challenges of Personalized Content Generation
Alesia Zhuk
Researcher, The Hague Academy’s Centre for Studies and Research, Legal Scholar on Law and Emerging Technologies Intersection
Dr. Alesia Zhuk is a legal scholar focused on the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She holds a PhD from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, where she researched blockchain regulation and its legal implications. A former research fellow at Kleros, she explored NLP for online dispute resolution. As a fellow of The Hague Academy, she studies AI in international courts. Her broader interests include AI governance, environmental impacts, and the use of AI for social good.
Mila AI Advisors: Catherine Regis and Laurent Charlin
Poject: The Use of Artificial Intelligence By and Before International Courts and Tribunals