Brent Mittelstadt

Professor Brent Mittelstadt is a leading authority in data ethics, policy, and data sovereignty, recognised for shaping how governments, institutions, and organisations approach the governance of emerging technologies. His career reflects a sustained commitment to understanding the ethical and legal implications of data-driven systems, particularly artificial intelligence, and translating that insight into practical frameworks that influence global policy.

He began his academic journey at De Montfort University, where he completed his PhD in 2010 and went on to serve as a Lecturer and Research Fellow. During this period, he developed a strong foundation in philosophy of technology and information ethics, setting the direction for his future work in data governance. In 2014, he joined the University of Oxford, initially as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Junior Research Fellow at St Cross College, marking the start of a long-standing affiliation with the Oxford Internet Institute.

Brent’s progression at Oxford has been both rapid and influential. From Research Associate in 2017 to Senior Research Fellow in 2019, he established himself as a central figure in interdisciplinary research on AI ethics and policy. In 2022, he was appointed Associate Professor and Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute, before becoming Professor of Data Ethics & Policy in 2024. Alongside this, he has held key roles at The Alan Turing Institute, including Research Fellow and Turing Fellow, further strengthening his impact across the UK’s leading data science institutions.

In 2025, he became Principal Investigator at the Weizenbaum Institute, expanding his work on international approaches to data governance and digital sovereignty. He is also the founder of the Governance of Emerging Technologies programme, which bridges ethics, law, and computer science to address the risks and opportunities of data-intensive technologies.

His research has directly shaped policy and practice worldwide. He has contributed to debates on the “right to explanation” under GDPR, developed methods for meaningful algorithmic transparency through counterfactual explanations, and introduced fairness metrics used to detect bias in AI systems. These contributions have informed guidance from governments, regulators, and major technology companies, reinforcing his position as a keynote speaker in the global conversation on trustworthy and accountable data use.