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Unintended consequences Web Science Institute Annual Report 2026

Welcome Welcome to the Web Science Institute 2026 Annual Report. The past year has been an exciting one for the Web Science Institute (WSI) and AI@Southampton. As artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, transforms how we live, work and learn, we have been reflecting on how best to help society understand, shape and benefit from these profound technological changes. Southampton has long been at the forefront of understanding the relationship between technology and society. Web Science was pioneered here to explore not only the technical foundations of the Web but also its wider social, economic and cultural impacts. WSI was established to bring together Southampton’s worldleading expertise to ensure digital innovation delivered benefits for society. As technology has evolved, so too has WSI. Today, AI presents extraordinary opportunities alongside complex ethical and societal challenges. Building on our strengths in interdisciplinary research, education and policy engagement, WSI and AI@Southampton are evolving to ensure human-centred AI remains at the heart of technological innovation. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in society, we believe that standards, evaluation and AI assurance will be critical to defining what counts as safe, trustworthy and beneficial. By bringing this often overlooked area into focus, we aim to help shape the governance frameworks that ensure AI delivers public good.

This report highlights some of our achievements over the past year. We delivered our largest-ever AI Arts Festival, and supported the positioning of Southampton as an emerging AI City of Excellence (see page 17). We are leading the University’s flagship AI Fluency initiative, ensuring every student develops the knowledge and confidence to use AI critically and responsibly (see page 28). We have also strengthened our international profile through WSI Science Salons in London and Silicon Valley, shared Southampton’s expertise at the India AI Summit, and supported innovative interdisciplinary research through new pilot projects and knowledge exchange initiatives. We hope this brochure gives you a flavour of our work and our ambition to help shape a future where AI benefits everyone. Professor Dame Wendy Hall Web Science Institute Director

In the future, AI assurance will become increasingly important. Regulation and principles need to be supported by robust ways of measuring, evaluating and verifying AI systems, providing the evidence needed to understand what safe, reliable and responsible AI means in practice.

AI is moving into a new phase. The last few years have been defined by extraordinary advances in what AI can do. The next few years will be shaped by different questions: how do we know these technologies work as intended? How do we measure their performance and impact? And how do we ensure they are safe, trustworthy and deserving of public confidence?

WSI and AI@Southampton are already focusing on this through their research, education, partnerships and international conversations.

Technology alone can’t answer these questions, they require expertise across disciplines and collaborations between universities, industry, policymakers and society. This is where the Web Science Institute plays an important role. At Southampton, we have a long history of looking beyond technology to understand the people, systems and institutions surrounding it. WSI brings together expertise from across the University to explore both the opportunities created by AI and its wider consequences.

We have an opportunity not simply to respond to the evolution of AI, but to help shape it, developing the knowledge, skills and frameworks that allow society to harness AI with confidence. Professor Mark Spearing Vice-President (Research and Enterprise)

Contents Web Science Institute

4–5

Giving research a head start

22–27

Leadership

6–11

Preparing students for an AI-powered future

28–31

The unintended consequences of AI

12–13

Spotlight on students and alumni

32–33

Shaping the future of AI

14–17

Celebrating 75 years of the Turing Test

34–35

Tackling AI’s growing threat to the UK’s creative industries

18–19

International impact

36–39

Shaping the future of community healthcare

20–21 3

Web Science Institute Southampton’s Web Science Institute (WSI) is shaping the future of the Web, data science and artificial intelligence (AI) to build technologies that are fair, accountable and serve the needs of those who use them, not only those who seek to profit from them.

Together with our flagship initiative, AI@Southampton, we bring together world-leading researchers, educators and innovators from across the University to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. At a time when AI is transforming every sector of society, we provide the critical socio-technical insight needed to ensure these technologies deliver real benefit for people, organisations and communities. By combining expertise from computer science, engineering, social sciences, law, humanities, health and the creative industries, we develop pioneering research and practical solutions that address complex global issues while placing human values at the heart of technological innovation.

As a leading centre of global excellence and expertise in the critical interdisciplinary study of the data revolution, WSI leads ambitious, internationally recognised research programmes, drives innovation with industry and the public sector, shapes policy, and inspires the next generation of AI talent through transformative education and doctoral training. We are recognised internationally for our thought leadership and influence and are the partner of choice for governments, policymakers, businesses and communities seeking evidencebased insight into the opportunities and challenges of emerging digital technologies. By connecting disciplines, sectors and society, we are helping to build a future in which AI and digital technologies are trusted, ethical and accessible to all.

Leadership Professor Dame Wendy Hall Director From the global stage to Southampton, it’s been a busy year for WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall. This year Dame Wendy has continued to lead international conversations on AI assurance through her roles as Regius Professor of Computer Science, Associate Vice-President of International Engagement and Director of the WSI at the University of Southampton. She has been a leading voice in global discussions on the future of AI, contributing to debates on AI governance, regulation, education and responsible innovation at home and abroad. Through her engagement with governments, international organisations, industry and the research community, she has continued to advocate for approaches to AI that place societal benefit, transparency and public trust at their core. A significant highlight of the year was Dame Wendy’s keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Speaking alongside some of the world’s most influential AI researchers and technology leaders, she addressed the opportunities and challenges presented by rapidly advancing AI systems and emphasised the importance of international collaboration on governance and standards. Drawing on lessons learned from the development of the World Wide Web, she called for greater attention to the societal impacts of emerging technologies and the need to ensure innovation is accompanied by appropriate safeguards.

Dame Wendy has also been appointed as an advisor on the Science and Technology Advisory Council at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) as it establishes a new Centre for AI Measurement. The Centre will offer the collaborative environment required to undertake research with the aim of moving trustworthy AI assurance tools to market more quickly. The year also brought major recognition of Dame Wendy’s outstanding contributions to science and engineering. In July 2026, she received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Sir Frank Whittle Medal, one of the Academy’s most prestigious awards, in recognition of her pioneering work in web science and her substantial contribution to shaping AI policy and strategy in the UK and internationally. She became only the third woman to receive the award since its introduction in 2001. In June 2026, Dame Wendy was announced as President of the British Science Association for 2026-27. The appointment recognises her longstanding commitment to public engagement with science and her leadership in communicating the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and digital technologies. Through her research, policy engagement and public leadership, Dame Wendy continues to strengthen the global profile of WSI and advance its mission to ensure that emerging technologies are developed and deployed for the benefit of society.

Professor Thomas Irvine Deputy Director The culmination of a journey Tom’s appointment as the Deputy Director of the WSI last year was the culmination of a journey that began not in computer science, but in music.

“I’m just old enough to remember my father bringing home an early personal computer (a Commodore PET!) and then hanging up his slide rule forever,” he recalls.

A historical musicologist by training, he joined Southampton 20 years ago after a postdoctoral fellowship in Germany where he was part of a team preparing a digital edition of Mozart’s complete works.

“What attracted me to Web Science and WSI was that these were engineers who cared deeply about the human impact of the technologies they were creating. There was room for many different voices in the conversation,” he explains.

It was a Digital Humanities project, but Tom never imagined it would lead him into AI, data and Web Science.

First year as Deputy Director After stepping down as Head of Music in January, Tom has given WSI his full attention during what he calls an exciting period of growth.

Becoming part of the family Tom’s introduction to Web Science came through an unlikely route. He was organising the musical aspects of a ViceChancellor delegation to Taiwan, and among those travelling was WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall. Tom recalls: “I got to know Wendy on the road. I found myself sitting at the back of a room listening to her briefing government ministers about the future of the Web and thinking I had no idea these conversations were happening and that Southampton had such a leading role.” Back in Southampton, Wendy invited Tom to join WSI, first on its Academic Advisory Board and later as an Associate Director. “It became a new academic family for me. It was a place where I could learn completely new things while bringing my own perspective as a humanities scholar,” he says. Finding a place in Web Science Tom soon found ways to connect his own research with Web Science, securing an Alan Turing Institute Fellowship for ‘Jazz as Social Machine’ project that explored how generative AI music engines, then very novel, behaved in the collaborative context of jazz improvisation. He admits that growing up in a home of an engineer helped. His father taught mechanical engineering at the local university in Stony Brook, New York.

“I have represented WSI internationally, travelling with Wendy and other colleagues to India’s AI Impact Summit, where thousands of delegates from academia, industry and government gathered to discuss AI policy and regulation. “It was an incredible learning experience, moving between discussions about new applications of AI and conversations about the geopolitical challenges of governing the technology. It reinforced just how important those policy discussions have become,” he says.

and an understanding of the human and societal dimensions of AI is something that’s genuinely unusual,” he adds. Connecting research, education and policy A key achievement of Tom’s first year has been a policy paper, Creative sovereignty as national security: a governance framework for generative AI, written with WSI Specialist Policy Officer Alistair Sackley and HumanCentred AI PhD student Matt Javanshir. (See page 18)

More recently, Tom joined Wendy and WSI Collaboration Manager Courtney Lee in Silicon Valley for the second in a new series of international salons.

It is already having an impact. Tom recently presented the project to a roundtable discussion on AI regulation in Westminster, hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Data and Emerging Technologies.

The WSI team hosted a dozen guests from technology, policy and investment, gathered in a private home for an offthe-record evening on AI assurance and global governance.

“To see ideas that began as Matt’s PhD research contributing to real policy conversations so quickly was incredibly rewarding. I was so proud of Matt,” says Tom.

The conversation took place a few miles from where much of the world’s AI is being built, and turned on a question those building it rarely stop to ask: who decides how these systems are tested, and who is training the people who will do it? (See page 12)

“It sums up what WSI is all about. We bring together technical expertise with perspectives from social sciences and humanities and train the next generation of experts. That’s when the most interesting ideas emerge.

“This trip confirmed to me that Southampton has a distinctive voice. The combination of engineering excellence

“My own journey shows that you don’t have to start in technology to make an important contribution to understanding its impact,” he adds.

LEADERSHIP

Professor Leslie Carr Deputy Director Putting people at the heart of AI From helping to launch a successful online Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence (MA in AI) to exploring the development of Southampton’s own generative AI tools, the past year has been a busy one for Les. Alongside exploring how researchers can use AI more effectively, he took on a different challenge, accompanying Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ted Hill in a comedy show at the AI Arts Festival. Bringing AI into the classroom Les has been instrumental in the launch of the new MA in AI programme that is attracting professionals from a wide range of backgrounds. (See page 30) Les says: “We’ve always known it’s important to train people who aren’t programmers or scientists. AI is affecting every sector, so managers, business leaders and professionals all need a deeper understanding of how the technology works and how it will affect their organisations.” Southampton’s programme offers a unique perspective, drawing on the expertise and experience of internationally renowned authorities in AI such as Dame Wendy, who has advised the United Nations on AI and leads on the MA’s Global AI Economy and AI Governance module and Dr Ashton Kingdon, who has advised the UK, US, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian governments on cybersecurity and AI and leads the Cyberharms module. Les explains: “It is very exciting that we can share that amazing expertise with our programme participants, so that they can really understand the challenges and opportunities that AI provides for them and their companies.” Taking the driving seat Among the other projects Les has been involved in is the University’s AI Driving Licence that enables staff and students to develop what he calls ‘critical competence’ in AI. (See page 28) He says: “We’re not trying to teach people that AI is a magical cure for everything. We want them to understand where it’s

capable, where it’s risky, and when it’s appropriate to use it.” Rather than simply teaching people how to write prompts, the initiative helps participants understand how to use the technology’s strengths to their own advantage, how to mitigate its weaknesses and biases, and how to use AI to become a more capable and expert professional in their own field. Soon to be available as a commercial Continuing Professional Development course, the project has been developed by AI@Southampton, an initiative that brings together expertise from across the University to support collaboration in research, education and innovation. The importance of human expertise People’s use of AI is also at the heart of Les’ personal research. As AI continues to evolve at a remarkable speed, transforming industries and everyday life, Les’ personal research is investigating the interaction between technology and human, and how it can empower people and not replace them. “AI works best as a tool when it is used alongside human expertise,” he explains. “There are lots of suggestions that AI will simply do researchers’ jobs faster and more accurately but this technology is only a small part of the research process. The bigger part is understanding how it can be used to create valuable new knowledge and deciding whether and it’s the right tool in the first place. That’s what we’re trying to achieve at Southampton.” Building Southampton’s own AI One of Southampton’s newest initiatives is SotonGPT, a platform for running AI models on the University’s Iridis high performance supercomputer. Currently in the pilot phase, the generative AI tool will use open-source language models to provide researchers with a secure and controllable environment for working with sensitive data. Les says: “It’s about being able to manage our own AI needs. As commercial AI services become more expensive, it’s

important that we have the capability to support our own research independently and securely.” The platform will enable researchers to analyse very large qualitative data collections to support their research investigations. AI takes to the stage Last but by no means least, one of Les’ more unusual highlights was performing comedy alongside Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ted Hill at the AI Arts Festival, in Winchester. “It was a brilliant experience,” said Les who has taken his stage show to venues such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and theatres in the South. He added: “I also performed alongside two of our PhD students, Will Hunt and Lucy Hodgins. It was a great way of showing that conversations about AI don’t always have to happen in lecture theatres.” The performances are continuing, with the team now developing new material through the Comedy Academy that equips academics with humour and storytelling skills to engage public audiences with humour and storytelling in order to convey complex scientific concepts. They will perform at the British Science Festival being held at the University in September, and the University’s 75th anniversary celebrations next year. (See page 31)

Professor Kate Borthwick Associate Director A global perspective on digital education Long before digital education became part of everyday university life, new WSI Associate Director Kate was building the skills that would shape her career by living and working across the world. A linguist by training, Kate studied Russian Language and Literature at the University of St Andrews before spending years teaching English in Russia, China, Japan, the United States and Scotland. Working with learners from early childhood to older adults, in classrooms large and small, gave her a deep appreciation of different cultures and approaches to teaching and learning, an outlook that continues to shape her work as an educator, researcher and knowledge exchange and enterprise professional. She explains: “It can be very humbling to live and work abroad. You learn to navigate different perspectives and intercultural misunderstandings. I bring that experience into work every day, and it has made me value collaboration across different backgrounds and disciplines.” Seeing the future of learning As the Internet began transforming education, Kate completed a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics focused on technology-enhanced learning. “I remember thinking, ‘This is the future. I want to be part of it,’” she recalls. Kate joined Southampton during its early expansion of online learning, helping to design and deliver digital education when such approaches were still emerging. She collaborated with Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) colleagues on repositories for open educational resources and her doctoral research focused on open educational practices in language education. “Working with colleagues in ECS introduced me to entirely new ways of thinking about research and innovation. I was bringing together language educators

while learning from people developing the technologies that supported new forms of learning,” she says. Kate went on to create the University’s biggest and most successful Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching before becoming Director of the University-wide MOOC programme, reaching nearly one million learners. She was the founding chair of Southampton’s Digital Education Advisory Group and, with the emergence of generative AI, led the University’s Generative AI Working Group. Advising senior leadership and presenting and implementing an institutional action plan during a secondment to the ViceChancellor’s Office, she has played a leading role in shaping the University’s approach to AI in education and now serves on its core AI Strategy Group. She also engages nationally with AI and education discussions and leads on AI fluency initiatives. A natural fit for Web Science Having collaborated with WSI researchers for many years, Kate says becoming an Associate Director was a natural step. “I’ve worked alongside WSI for many years and learned a huge amount from colleagues here. The socio-technical approach to understanding technology has always resonated with me because that’s exactly how I think about digital education,” she says. She believes education has a vital role in Web Science’s interdisciplinary ethos. “People need technical knowledge of AI, but they also need to understand its impact on society, education and the economy,” she explains. Looking ahead, Kate sees AI as one of the defining challenges for Web Science challenges. “AI is changing how people learn, work, communicate and make decisions.

People need technical knowledge of AI, but they also need to understand its impact on society, education and the economy.” Professor Kate Borthwick

Understanding its opportunities and risks requires researchers, educators, policymakers and technologists to work together,” she says. Drawing on her experience leading Southampton’s work on AI in education, Kate hopes to strengthen links between research, education and innovation across WSI “Web Science provides the interdisciplinary environment we need to help society navigate these changes. The most important questions about AI are not just technical questions, they are about people, values and the future we want to create,” she adds.

LEADERSHIP

Dr Craig Webber Associate Director Understanding the human side of technology Craig’s appointment as an Associate Director of WSI has been the natural progression of a career spent exploring the relationship between people, behaviour and technology. Although his academic background is in criminology and psychology, Craig’s interest in digital technologies stretches back to the start of his career at Southampton. Craig joined Southampton as a Lecturer in Criminology in 1999 and went on to become Head of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, leading the department through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside his leadership roles, he established a reputation for his research into youth crime, gangs and psychology. He recalls: “I’ve always been interested in cybercrime. Even early on I was working with computer scientists and thinking about where technology and criminology intersected.” That interest led him to become involved with the Web Science Institute almost from its inception, when he was invited to become part of the Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training. Since then, he has supervised numerous Web Science doctoral students, contributed to international conferences and collaborated on research exploring the social impact of the web. “What attracted me to Web Science was that it brought together people from very different disciplines. The technology is important, but understanding how people use it is just as important,” he explains.

Looking beyond the technology As a criminologist, Craig admits he approaches new technologies with a healthy degree of scepticism. “I’ve never believed technology alone solves social problems. People adapt technology for their own purposes, and sometimes those purposes aren’t positive,” he says. While recognising the enormous benefits of the Web and AI, he believes they have also created new opportunities for manipulation, misinformation and online harm. “Web Science matters because it combines the technical understanding with psychology, sociology, law and the humanities. You need all of those perspectives if you’re going to understand what’s really happening,” he said. Expanding AI education Craig is committed to expanding people’s experience of AI. He leads Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology’s contribution to the University’s successful online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence that is designed specifically for professionals without a STEM background. “The non-STEM element is the most important part. Understanding AI shouldn’t just be the responsibility of computer scientists. Everyone needs to understand how to use it responsibly, ethically and critically,” he explains. As Associate Director, Craig hopes to continue strengthening interdisciplinary research while helping ensure AI is developed and used in ways that benefit society. “My goal is to help people understand both the opportunities and the risks. The future of AI isn’t just about better technology, it’s about making better decisions about how we use it,” he added.

The future of AI isn’t just about better technology, it’s about making better decisions about how we use it.” Dr Craig Webber

Farewell and thanks

WSI Advisory Board

We are very sad to say farewell to WSI Coordination Manager Susan Davies as she takes retirement.

Leading Web and data science authorities from business, academia and government advise the WSI on strategic matters.

Susan has been with the University of Southampton for over 40 years and has been instrumental in WSI’s growth and success since its inception in 2014. She first joined the University on a work experience placement in the Electrical Engineering Department and was subsequently offered a job as a junior secretary. Over her tenure, Susan worked with professors, academics and researchers to manage large research projects across multiple academic institutions.

I have met so many amazing people across the University and formed life-long friendships.” Susan Davies

Susan was with WSI from the very start and led the team in her role as Coordination Manager until her retirement. She took the reins on some of the WSI’s biggest events in recent years including celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Internet and marking 75 years of the Turing Test. Susan recalls: “I have had a wonderful career at Southampton. I have met so many amazing people across the University and formed life-long friendships. “I will especially miss working with my colleagues in the WSI. Being part of that team, has been the most fulfilling and rewarding part of my time here.” WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall says: “A simple thank you doesn’t cover our gratitude and appreciation for everything Susan has done and gave to the University over her 40 years of service. “She was a cornerstone of the WSI from the get-go and her dedication over the years was never in doubt. We all miss her terribly and wish her the absolute best in her retirement.”

The Advisory Board includes: Chair – Bill Thompson Principal Research Engineer at the BBC Tom Barnett Founder and CEO, Chronotis Ltd Liz Brandt CEO, Ctrl-Shift Dame Diane Coyle Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge Dean Drew Partner, Lester Aldridge Liam Maxwell Director, Government Transformation at Amazon Web Services Matt McNeill Managing Director, Solutions and Technology, Google Cloud Professor Steven Meers Head of AI Lab, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Lohan Presencer Executive Chairman, Ministry of Sound Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt Principal of Jesus College, University of Oxford Dr Jeni Tennison Executive Director, Connected by data

The unintended consequences of AI Setting out the vision for the next era of AI.

As AI reshapes society at unprecedented speed, WSI is embarking on a new chapter to help ensure the technology develops in ways that benefit people as much as innovation. Building on its international reputation for exploring the relationship between technology and society, WSI is evolving its research, partnerships and education to address the global challenge of maximising AI’s benefits while reducing its unintended consequences. The move marks the next stage in WSI’s journey. Founded at Southampton alongside the pioneering discipline of Web Science, WSI brought together experts from computer science, social sciences, the humanities, medicine and the arts to understand the impact of digital technologies on society. Professor Thomas Irvine, Deputy Director of WSI, says: “We are at a real moment of transformation, and WSI needs to grow and change to meet the challenges of that transformation.”

We need to act now to ensure that the people who will develop, govern and regulate tomorrow’s technologies have the knowledge, skills and interdisciplinary understanding needed to build systems that serve society as a whole.” Professor Dame Wendy Hall WSI Director

A major focus will be developing new international partnerships and creating opportunities for researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and philanthropists to work together on the future of responsible AI. One initiative helping to build those relationships is a new series of international salons. The first events, at the Athenaeum in London and at a private home in Silicon Valley, brought together leading voices from academia, technology, policy and business for off-the-record discussions about the future of AI. Topics have ranged from AI’s impact on democracy and children to global governance and AI assurance, the standards, evaluation and verification processes needed to ensure AI systems are safe, trustworthy and accountable. Silicon Valley discussion turned on a point rarely made in public – the future of AI will be decided less in legislatures than in measurement laboratories. “A rule requiring AI to be safe and reliable means little until someone agrees how to test whether it is working,” explains Tom. Future salon plans include returns to London and California, in addition to events in India and Singapore as WSI continues to expand its global network. One of WSI’s key aims is looking for philanthropic partners to support the training of the next generation of researchers who are going to be writing the script for how society lives with AI,

technology and the Web in the future. Southampton’s Web Science Doctoral Training Centre trained more than 150 PhDs in the fifteen years before its government funding ran out. “The world now needs a new generation of experts who can move from technical specification to institutional reality to public consequence. WSI has the track record to do this, “ adds Tom. “At WSI, we already punch way above our weight. We have a global platform, we have built a strong team, and we come from fields as diverse as computer science, physics, social statistics, medicine, life sciences, political science, education, music and even archaeology. Together we are a strong force shaping the future.” Over the years, WSI has raised tens of millions of pounds in government research funding. But, Tom says, with philanthropic money they can go further, to drive the change that the world needs. WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall explains: “The pace of the AI revolution is currently outstripping our ability to respond. Left unchecked, AI will damage the digital world in the same way humanity has damaged the physical one. “We need to act now to ensure that the people who will develop, govern and regulate tomorrow’s technologies have the knowledge, skills and interdisciplinary understanding needed to build systems that serve society as a whole.” 13

Shaping the future of AI AI@Southampton has had a successful first year since it was officially launched to strengthen Southampton’s reputation as a global leader in responsible AI.

Led by Professor Dame Wendy Hall and coordinated by WSI, AI@Southampton has rapidly established itself as the University’s focal point for interdisciplinary AI research, education and innovation.

Beyond the University, AI@Southampton is building partnerships with businesses, public services and civic organisations to help drive the responsible adoption of AI across the region.

It is bringing together experts and collaborators across Southampton to connect, share expertise and build solutions to the rapidly evolving field of AI.

Claire Wilkins, Manager of AI@Southampton, says: “The success of AI@Southampton reflects the enthusiasm, expertise, and collaborative spirit of colleagues from across the university.

Since it began, AI@Southampton has played a key role in shaping the University’s response to AI, including leading work on a new institution-wide AI Fluency initiative, producing two AI Arts Festivals and an AI@Southampton Festival where researchers, educators and trainers get to share their expertise. It has also developed networking and sharing opportunities via its Special Interest Groups. Through its network of AI Champions selected by their faculties, it is supporting early career researchers, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and creating new opportunities for underrepresented groups in AI.

“In a relatively short period of time, we have built a vibrant community that brings together researchers, educators, professional services staff, students, and external partners to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come in a short space of time and look forward to continuing to grow the community and support Southampton’s reputation as an AI leader.”

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AI

Bringing social scientists together to shape the future of AI From exploring AI’s impact on democracy to helping researchers develop new digital skills, AI@Faculty of Social Sciences (AI@FSS) has quickly become a hub for collaboration and innovation across social science research at Southampton. In its first year, AI@FSS has brought together researchers to explore both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents. Dr Nora McIntyre, AI Champion for Social Sciences and AI@FSS lead, says: “One of the highlights has been the AI, Democracy and Human Rights flagship event that celebrated social science academics and their leadership in reshaping AI governance, ethics and human rights. It spotlighted the very best of Southampton’s social science research and fostered vibrant debate surrounding the responsible and equitable engagement with AI. “AI@FSS also hosted a University-wide capacity-building event on AI Skills for Social Scientists. Researchers viewed AI 16

skills in real-time, through introductions to ground-breaking emerging AI research tools, with specific applications for pressing questions that span the social sciences.” AI@FSS has supported new interdisciplinary research projects through Social Sciences’ Higher Education Innovation Funding. A diverse range of projects developed partnerships with local companies and organisations to explore new uses and applications of AI. These included school teachers using AI avatars to rehearse difficult conversations, an NHS trust using AI tools to model bed occupancy, and a study with the courts and a local Law Society to develop guidance for people representing themselves in court on using AI tools to support their case. Nora adds: “The social sciences are pivotal in keeping our use and development of AI relevant, ethical, and human-centred. Through interdisciplinary working, we’re able to develop insights and processes that are foundational to how we co-develop and use AI.”

Bringing together artists, researchers and the public to explore how AI and the arts intersect, demonstrates the growing appetite to explore creativity, innovation and collaboration in AI.” Claire Wilkins Manager of AI@Southampton

Celebrating creativity and technology This year’s AI Arts Festival was bigger and better than ever, with hundreds of people exploring how AI is transforming the arts. The Festival transformed the Theatre Royal Winchester and the Arc into a vibrant showcase of creativity, innovation and public engagement. Across the day, 58 artists, researchers and performers delivered 23 events, ranging from live performances and exhibitions to interactive workshops and thought-provoking discussions. Visitors were invited to experience AI technology first-hand, taking part in hands-on activities that encouraged them to experiment with AI as a creative tool. They also got the opportunity to explore how AI is changing music, theatre, filmmaking and visual arts.

The AI Arts Festival is presented by AI@Southampton and organised by the WSI, in partnership with the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities and Winchester School of Art. Among the highlights were the popular Robot Filmmaking workshop, where participants created films alongside AI-powered robots, and AI Mozart that combined live performance with AI-generated music to explore new possibilities for artistic collaboration. AI inspired a range of comedy performances, with Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ted Hill entertaining audiences with a comedy set inspired by artificial intelligence, while WSI Deputy Director Professor Leslie Carr and PhD students Will Hunt and Lucy Hodgins performed their own comedy sketch. The festival attracted visitors from across the region, including Southampton student Mike Corner-Jones, who attended with his wife.

He says, “I’m studying a part-time MA in Artificial Intelligence at the University and was delighted to hear about the festival. We had a fantastic time, particularly at the stand-up comedy. I’ll never quite look at an air fryer in the same way again!” Claire Wilkins, Manager of AI@Southampton, adds: “It was incredible to see such a strong turnout and so many people engaging with the festival. Bringing together artists, researchers and the public to explore how AI and the arts intersect, demonstrates the growing appetite to explore creativity, innovation and collaboration in AI.” Professor Sunil Manghani, AI Champion for Arts and Humanities, adds: “Events like the AI Arts Festival matter because they offer hands-on experience with AI, informed by current research, so helping to broaden the public conversation beyond media hype and anxiety about AI.”

Tackling AI’s growing threat to the UK’s creative industries As the debate over artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright shows little signs of resolution, Southampton WSI researchers are warning that the UK risks overlooking a far greater challenge. Who will control the nation’s creative future in an AI-powered world?

A new policy paper written by PhD student Matthew Javanshir, WSI Deputy Director Professor Thomas Irvine and WSI Specialist Policy Officer Alistair Sackley argues that focusing solely on copyright disputes between AI developers and the creative industries misses broader questions about the UK’s cultural influence, economic resilience and ability to shape the technologies that will increasingly define how people communicate, create and share ideas. Creative Sovereignty: Securing the UK’s Creative Future in the Age of AI proposes a new governance framework designed to support both responsible AI innovation and the UK’s world-leading creative industries. Matt explains: “The discussion has become framed as a choice between 18

supporting AI innovation or protecting the creative industries. We wanted to ask a bigger question. If AI is going to reshape how we create, communicate and tell our stories, how does the UK ensure it retains influence over that future?” The paper argues that while copyright remains an important issue, it does not address the wider challenge of ‘creative sovereignty’, the UK’s ability to maintain control over its cultural assets, creative economy and global influence in a future where AI systems increasingly generate content, shape public discourse and mediate communication. Rather than viewing the issue as a conflict between technology companies and creators, the researchers propose what they describe as a ‘third way’, a

governance framework that establishes clear conditions for AI companies wishing to operate in the UK while creating a more trusted and transparent AI ecosystem. “The framework is built around four complementary pillars. It proposes compulsory licensing of copyrighted works used to train AI models, alongside a Creative Sovereignty Trust that would negotiate licences collectively on behalf of creators and distribute payments fairly,” explains Matt. “It also calls for greater transparency over the datasets used to train AI systems and independent auditing to verify that companies are complying with agreed standards. Our aim was to develop a practical solution that benefits both sectors.

WSI policy papers A portfolio of cutting-edge policy-related publications that sum up research and analysis of recent developments in web science, data science and AI have been published by the WSI. Pollucination: Why the rush to AGI via generative AI is self-defeating, and what to do about it Emeritus Fellow Kieron O’Hara and WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall

FIVE AIMS: Lessons from Internet Governance for Artificial Intelligence Management Strategies Emeritus Professor Kieron O’Hara and WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Kieron and Dame Wendy examine the tendency of generative AI models to ‘hallucinate’, coming up with false answers to problems. They argue that, through the problem is insoluble, it could be managed much more effectively. Indeed, this is essential, because as AI gets thirstier for data, it is important that it is only fed high-quality information. Without a more measured approach, the hallucinations of one generation of AI systems could become pollution for the next.

Kieron and Dame Wendy extended their Four Internets framework for digital governance to cover AI. Their white papers about 5AIMS (Artificial Intelligence Management Strategies) appeared in papers for the Atlantic Council and Sciences Po and a paper applying the framework to the EU AI Act was published in the European Data Protection Law Review.

Books Emeritus Professor Kieron O’Hara’s also published a book called Blockchain Politics, about the crisis in social trust. It included a set of guidelines about trustworthy information supply.

“The conversation has become AI versus the creative industries. We’re saying there’s another option. The UK can create the conditions for both sectors to succeed without sacrificing one for the other. “While each proposal has been discussed individually, bringing them together as a single governance framework offers policymakers a coherent route forward. “None of these ideas are necessarily groundbreaking on their own. What’s new is combining them into a framework that builds trust. Together, they create an AI ecosystem that supports innovation while ensuring creators are rewarded fairly and the UK has a meaningful say over how AI develops within its own market.

“By reframing the debate around creative sovereignty rather than copyright alone, we hope to influence future AI regulation,” he says. The paper has already begun attracting interest from policymakers. Tom travelled to Westminster for a discussion on AI regulation in the creative industries hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Data and Emerging Technologies.

“It was great to bring Matt, Ali’s and my work to Westminster and see people react positively.” Find out more about Matt Javanshir’s PhD on page 33. Read the full paper at: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/511820

Tom says: “The group was open to our ideas and there was a constructive discussion. I got the impression that people are looking for innovative regulatory situations to this tricky set of problems. Getting proposals like this out into the public discussion is a big part of what WSI does.

Shaping the future of community healthcare As healthcare increasingly moves beyond hospitals and into people’s homes, Southampton researchers are exploring how data, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can improve care while ensuring it remains safe, trusted and centred on people’s needs.

The work forms part of the new multimillion-pound National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex, a five-year programme designed to translate research into practical improvements for patients, communities and the NHS. Hosted by University Hospital Southampton, it is tackling some of the UK’s biggest health and care challenges through five research Flagships, including Data for care where we live. Healthcare beyond the hospital The Data for Care Where We Live Flagship is led by WSI Associate Director Professor Michael Boniface and Southampton AI Champion for Medicine Professor John McBeth. It brings together expertise from health, data science and web science to understand how emerging technologies 20

can be implemented effectively in realworld health and community care. The team is investigating how AI, digital tools and data can support more personalised, preventative healthcare while addressing major challenges around fragmented data systems, responsible data sharing and digital inclusion. “Healthcare is moving into people’s everyday lives. We’re increasingly dealing with the same networks, behaviours and digital infrastructures that Web Science has been studying for years. The result is an emerging field where clinical data, community data and person-generated data converge,” said Michael.

Tackling the missing data problem While hospitals, GP practices and social care organisations each hold valuable health information, one of healthcare’s largest missing datasets is persongenerated data, collected from wearable and other sensing technologies. The team are exploring how this data can be captured and used. “We know where primary care data is. We know where secondary care data is. We know where social care data is, but person-generated data is one of the biggest missing pieces. How do you collect it? Where does it go? How should it be used?” said John. As more care is delivered in homes and communities, this type of information could provide valuable insights into people’s health before they require medical intervention.

Breaking down language barriers in healthcare For patients who do not speak English fluently, a visit to the doctor can be stressful, particularly when a professional interpreter is unavailable.

By combining expertise in AI, healthcare, linguistics and Web Science, Yuliia’s research is helping to shape the future of multilingual healthcare communication.

Southampton researchers are exploring how AI could help improve communication while ensuring patient safety remains the highest priority.

Its findings could support the development of new policies that enable AI to improve access to healthcare for diverse communities while ensuring patient safety, trust and equity remain at the heart of clinical practice.

A new WSI PhD project by Yuliia Antiufieieva is investigating how machine translation tools, including large language models, could be used responsibly in NHS settings when qualified interpreters are not available. The research aims to develop evidence that will inform future guidance on the safe, ethical and accountable use of AI in healthcare. Drawing on experience as both an interpreter and an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher, Yuliia is examining the real-world challenges faced by patients with limited English proficiency and the clinicians caring for them. While AI translation tools are becoming increasingly accurate, questions remain about when they can be used safely and where professional interpreters remain essential.

Wearable technology supporting independent living One example where wearable technology can help support independent living is with people with dementia. Wearable technologies could monitor subtle changes that indicate dehydration, a common but often overlooked problem that can lead to hospital admission and serious complications. By combining continuous monitoring with machine learning, community healthcare teams could receive early warnings, allowing patients, carers or local support networks to intervene before the situation worsens. Earlier intervention could help people remain healthier and live independently for longer.

Building trust in AI and health data Collecting more data is only part of the challenge. Researchers are also examining how AI systems can be introduced responsibly, ensuring they are accessible for people with different levels of digital confidence and do not reinforce existing health inequalities. Historical datasets can contain biases that, if left unchecked, may be reproduced by AI systems, potentially leading to unfair or inaccurate outcomes. The team is working closely with patients and the public to understand how technologies can be designed in ways that are transparent, inclusive and trustworthy.

A pilot study has focused on Ukrainian and Russian translations of simulated GP, hospital and pharmacy consultations using AI tools, including Google Translate and GPT-5. Early findings are encouraging. Yuliia, a student in the WSI-administered PhD programme for Human-Centred AI, says: “The next phase of my research will work directly with patients to understand not only whether tra nslations are linguistically accurate, but whether people genuinely understand medical advice and know how to act on it. “I will explore how AI can support informed decision-making while reducing the risks associated with miscommunication in high-stakes clinical environments.” Bottom left: Yuliia Antiufieieva

Where web science meets healthcare As technologies become embedded in everyday healthcare, questions around trust, consent, governance and responsible data sharing are becoming just as important as technical innovation. WSI researchers’ expertise in digital governance, online communities and data ecosystems offers valuable insights into how these new forms of health data might be managed responsibly. The WSI is involved in research into data trusts – governance frameworks designed to help communities decide how personal data should be shared and used. As wearable devices and home technologies generate increasing amounts of health-related information, these approaches could help ensure information is used transparently, ethically and for public benefit. 21

Giving research a head start Developing new ideas, building collaborations and creating real-world impact are just some of the initiatives that WSI funding is enabling.

The WSI Knowledge Exchange Fund brings researchers together with businesses, industry, local authorities, public sector and charitable organisations, community groups and the wider public to tackle real-world challenges. It supports interdisciplinary projects that apply expertise in Web Science, data science and human-centred AI to deliver meaningful social and economic impact.

The WSI Pilot Project Fund helps researchers launch new interdisciplinary collaborations and develop innovative ideas into competitive research grant proposals. It supports projects across Web Science, data science, humancentred AI and socio-technical research.

Helping to understand how malaria moves through populations Traditionally malaria surveillance has focused on where cases are reported. But infections do not stay neatly within administrative boundaries. People travel for work, family, trade and tourism, and malaria parasites travel with them. The MalaAI project is exploring how AI could help transform the fight against malaria by revealing how infection moves through populations. Led by Dr Eimear Cleary, Senior Research Fellow, and Professor Shengjie Lai, Principal Research Fellow, at Southampton’s WorldPop research group, MalarAI combines AI, human mobility data and geospatial modelling to understand malaria transmission in near real time. Eimear explains: “Our aim is to help health authorities target interventions more precisely, accelerating efforts to eliminate malaria. “We have brought together experts in AI, epidemiology, spatial demography and public health to focus on Zanzibar, where malaria cases have fallen dramatically over the past two decades, but the final push towards elimination has stalled.” Much of the remaining burden is linked to high-risk occupations, human mobility and changes in mosquito biting behaviour with an increase in infections occuring outdoors, limiting the effectiveness of traditional interventions such as bed nets and indoor spraying.

Rather than relying on broad, onesize-fits-all approaches, the project is developing AI-powered tools that enable health programmes to pinpoint microtransmission hotspots, and understand outbreak risk in near real time to deploy resources where they are needed most. Eimear adds: “Crucially, the tools are being built with the people who will use them. We held a co-design workshop with the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme tailoring the approach to existing surveillance practice and to the transmission dynamics observed on the ground by the control programme. WSI pilot project funding has enabled the team to develop the project’s AI framework, build partnerships with public health organisations and put the data infrastructure in place for larger-scale research. The initiative brings together collaborators from the University of Southampton, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Johns Hopkins University and the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme. They are actively seeking further collaborations across public health, data science, epidemiology and technology to test and extend the platform in other malaria-endemic regions. Find out more: www.malarai.org

“By combining high-resolution population data with climate, environmental and demographic information, MalarAI aims to identify hidden transmission routes and predict where future outbreaks are most likely to emerge,” says Eimear.

GIVING PROJECTS A HEAD START

Building a more resilient food system How would people respond if food prices suddenly soared, supermarket shelves emptied or supply chains were disrupted? Could AI help answer these questions and help policymakers design food systems that are more resilient, sustainable and fair. “That’s what we are exploring in the CoLLAB-MAP project,” says project lead Dr Ali Parsa, a Research Fellow in Geography and Environmental Science. “As climate change, pandemics and geopolitical instability continue to put pressure on global food supplies, we aim to provide new insights into how societies can prepare for uncertainty,” he added. Ali and the research team are combining AI with behavioural science to develop and evaluate smarter tools that could support better decision-making and strengthen the resilience of food systems for the future.

Changing how governments measure society Official statistics shape decisions that affect everyone’s lives, from tracking inflation to measuring population change. How is AI transforming the way those trusted figures are produced?

They are using large language models (LLMs) and advanced computer simulations to better understand how people make decisions during food shortages and other disruptions. They are particularly focusing on the UK’s poultry sector, a key part of the nation’s food supply.

Dr Adrien Allorant, from Social Statistics and Demography, is leading the AI and the Reinvention of Official Statistics project that aims to ensure official statistics remain robust, trustworthy and fit for the future.

“The WSI pilot project funding is enabling us to create AIpowered ‘synthetic citizens’ that reflect the diversity of the UK population and simulate how different people might respond to events such as price rises, supply shortages or new government policies.

With governments increasingly relying on AI to analyse ever-growing volumes of data, how can national statistical agencies adopt AI and machine learning while maintaining the accuracy, transparency and reliability that underpin public trust.

“Unlike traditional computer models that rely on fixed rules about human behaviour, this approach allows AI agents to reason and make decisions based on their individual characteristics, experiences and the changing circumstances around them.

Adrien says: “By examining how AI is reshaping one of society’s most important sources of evidence, the project is helping to build confidence in the data that informs public policy and democratic decision-making.

“We hope this could provide a more realistic picture of how individual choices can influence the resilience of the wider food system,” Ali explains.

“We are examining how AI is changing the ‘statistical chain’, the process used by governments, businesses and policymakers to collect, analyse and turn raw data into official statistics.

The team brings together expertise in systems science, behavioural science, geography and food systems and works with Virginia Tech and other partners across academia, industry and the public sector.

“We are also exploring how long-established standards such as accuracy, comparability and reproducibility can be maintained, and how statisticians and data scientists are adapting to these new ways of working.”

They are investigating whether AI-powered simulations could offer a safe way to understand how communities and food systems might respond to future crises.

WSI pilot project funding has enabled the first phase of international fieldwork, where the team has interviewed experts in leading national statistical offices in the UK, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, who are at the forefront of integrating AI into official statistics.

The pilot lays the foundation for an innovative modelling framework and tests how generative AI can be used responsibly to study complex social challenges like this.

The project has also supported participation in the European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics, where AI quality assurance was a central theme. The work is already producing results with a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Official Statistics, and early findings being presented at the Royal Statistical Society Conference.

Shaping the AI newsrooms of the future

Supporting Civic AI applications

As AI transforms the way news is produced across the world, how can journalists help shape the technologies they use while protecting the values at the heart of quality reporting?

AI has the potential to transform how towns and cities work, from improving local services to supporting community organisations. But do civic organisations have the expertise and resources to explore how AI could benefit the communities they serve?

Dr Shepuya Famwang, a Senior Teaching Fellow in Digital Media Practices, is exploring how AI can be designed to support journalists and meet the needs of Nigerian newsrooms. By bringing together expertise in journalism, human-AI interaction and computer science, the project ultimately aims to equip newsrooms with practical, responsible AI tools that enhance productivity while supporting the future of independent journalism in Nigeria. Shepuya explains: “The Human-Machine Newsroom: AI and the Nigerian Newsroom (HU-MANN) project investigates how AI is being integrated into newsroom practice and how journalists can play a central role in shaping the next generation of AI-powered tools. “As AI becomes part of everyday reporting, our project shows that the best way to develop technologies journalists can trust is to work alongside the people who use them.” The interdisciplinary research team is working with journalists in Abuja, Nigeria, to examine how AI is being used across broadcast, digital and print news organisations.

Dr Richard Gomer is leading a research team that is working alongside civic organisations to develop, test and evaluate AI applications that could make cities more liveable, sustainable and inclusive. He explains: “We are exploring and prototyping new civic applications of AI through the AI City Innovation Sandpit project. It has brought together researchers, students, local authorities and community organisations to explore and protype new civic applications of AI. “Working with partners including the local NHS and Citizens Advice Eastleigh, we have guided organisations through a structured innovation process, helping them identify opportunities for AI and addressing common barriers such as limited technical expertise and uncertainty about the technology’s capabilities. “A team of our MEng students have then worked directly with the organisations to develop prototypes.”

Through interviews, workflow mapping and technical audits, they are identifying opportunities for AI to enhance newsroom practice while addressing its limitations.

WSI knowledge exchange funding was used to develop and fund the innovation programme, recruit partners and students, and support the development of the prototypes.

Early interviews have already highlighted the need for AI tools that can generate stories in the style of individual newsrooms, accurately transcribe interviews featuring Nigerian accents, verify information within a Nigerian context and better protect investigative journalists handling sensitive material.

Now moving into the evaluation stage, the project is generating valuable knowledge about what AI can (and can’t) do for the civic sector, as well as the practical, legal, and organisational challenges that need to be overcome to make effective and responsible use of Civic AI a reality.

“AI has enormous potential to strengthen journalism, but existing tools are not always designed for local newsroom in the Global South,” says Shepuya. “By working directly with journalists, we can develop AI that supports editorial decisionmaking while preserving journalistic independence.” The pilot project funding is enabling the team to test innovative AI prototypes, strengthen partnerships with Nigerian media organisations and generate the evidence needed for a major Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding proposal. 25

GIVING PROJECTS A HEAD START

Building confidence in AI for mental health As AI becomes more common in mental healthcare, how can patients and professionals understand what it can do, where it falls short and when it should be used? These are some of the questions being explored in From Concept to Clinic: Empowering Stakeholders and Exploring Perspectives on AI for Mental Health Integration, led by Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, Associate Professor in Psychology. “As AI becomes part of mental healthcare, it can be difficult to understand what it actually does, when it can be helpful and where its limitations lie,” says Emma. “We worked with patients, healthcare professionals and members of the public to understand what they most wanted to know and to develop resources that addressed their questions and concerns.” By bringing together psychologists, computer scientists and industry partner MetaverseVR, the team has co-created a series of short, accessible videos exploring how AI is being used in mental health care. The videos consider questions including whether AI could replace face-to-face care, whether it can be used as a therapist, how it is already being used in healthcare, and how patients and professionals can decide whether to trust it. Early feedback from public contributors indicates that the found they valued the balanced discussion in the videos of both the benefits and limitations of AI. Project participants saw potential for AI to support mental health professionals including reducing administrative workloads and helping to create resources, but they also highlighted concerns about AI’s ability to understand human experience, non-verbal communication and clinical nuance. Emma explains: “Stakeholders consistently highlighted the importance of safety, transparency and appropriate training,” Emma explains. “While there is enthusiasm about the potential of AI to improve access and support mental health services, others raised broader ethical, environmental and social concerns, and questioned whether AI should play a role in mental health services at all.” WSI knowledge exchange funding is providing the foundation for future research and funding applications, while creating publicly accessible resources to improve understanding of AI in mental health.

Designing the AI robots of the future As AI-powered robots become more common in classrooms and wellbeing support, how can we ensure that children’s voices help shape how they are designed. By placing children’s experiences at the heart of AI design, Dr Indu Bodala, from Electronics and Computer Science, is helping create technologies that are not only intelligent, but also ethical, inclusive and developmentally appropriate. She explains: “The Play, Learn, Co-Create: Participatory Design for Child–Robot Interactions project explores how children can influence the behaviour of AI-powered social robots, making them safer, more trustworthy and better suited to their needs. “As AI becomes part of everyday life, our project demonstrates that the best way to build technology children can trust is to involve them in creating it.” The research team combines expertise in AI, human-robot interaction and child-centred design. It monitored how children aged eight to 12 interacted with an AI-powered robot to evaluate its behaviour and suggest improvements. “As AI becomes more human-like, we need to addresses the challenge of children placing too much trust in systems that appear friendly or authoritative,” says Indu. “We are investigating how children develop trust in AI over time, whether they feel safe and in control during interactions, and how involving them in redesigning the robot’s behaviour can help reduce the risks of over-reliance or misunderstanding,” she adds. WSI pilot project funding allowed the team to work directly with schools, test innovative participatory methods and develop early AI-powered prototypes grounded in responsible AI principles. It is already creating new opportunities for collaboration with teachers, psychologists, paediatricians and Southampton’s LifeLab team, with plans for larger research grants and publications in leading international conferences.

Tackling the growing impact of deepfakes

Improving support for domestic abuse victims

As AI-generated images, videos, and voices become increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic content, there is a growing need to explore how improving digital literacy can help the public navigate AI-driven misinformation, how the legal system can better evaluate deepfake evidence in court, and how society perceives and responds to victims of manipulated media.

Southampton researchers are exploring how AI could help professionals respond more effectively to high-risk domestic abuse cases, supporting faster, more informed decisions while keeping the victims/survivors at the centre of safeguarding decisions.

These are the questions driving Dr Jennifer Williams, Lecturer in Electronics and Computer Science, in her Deepfakes and Society project. “As deepfake technology becomes more accessible, we need to ensure people have the knowledge and tools to accurately discuss what manipulated media is, and to understand its impact on individuals and society,” says Jennifer. Working with partners including the UK Government, Oxford Wave Research, the Cross-Cultural Hub Southampton and the Responsible AI Collaborative, Jennifer and the research team are combining expertise in AI, digital forensics and social science to improve public understanding of synthetic media and strengthen resilience to misinformation. The project is investigating how people perceive victims of deepfake scams and whether factors such as age, race, educational background or gender influence public attitudes. Jennifer explains: “We want to better understand who is most vulnerable to the harms caused by deepfakes and provide evidence that helps policymakers develop fairer and more effective responses.” Alongside this research, the team is co-creating a series of engaging educational videos to improve digital media literacy. Designed for a broad public audience, the videos will explain topics including deepfakes, digital provenance, watermarking and forensic techniques that help characterise deepfakes and other forms of manipulated media. The project is also advancing new techniques to identify which AI model has generated an audio deepfake, an emerging field known as deepfake source tracing. “This capability could provide valuable evidence for law enforcement investigations and help monitor coordinated misinformation campaigns, particularly during elections,” says Jennifer. The knowledge exchange-funded project is laying the foundations for new collaborations across government, industry and academia, while translating cutting-edge AI research into practical tools, policy recommendations and public education.

Building on a successful pilot study, WSI knowledge exchange funding is supporting the development of an AI system designed to support Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), where police, probation, health services, local authorities and specialist organisations work together to protect victims/survivors who are experiencing high-risk domestic abuse. The work is led by Katerina Porter, a Senior Research Assistant in Population Health Science alongside an interdisciplinary team of colleagues from Medicine, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Southampton City Council, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The project uses a locally deployed large language model (LLM) to analyse detailed case information submitted before MARAC meetings. Drawing on actions agreed in previous safeguarding cases, the system identifies individual risks in each case, generates structured suggestions for possible actions to address each case, suggests the agencies best placed to carry out each action, and provides an explanation for each recommendation. Rather than replacing professional judgement, the technology is designed to support decision-making by helping practitioners consider a wider range of safeguarding options and reducing the risk that important actions are overlooked during time-pressured discussions. Because domestic abuse cases involve highly sensitive personal information, the research has been designed with responsible AI at its core. The system runs locally, ensuring confidential data remains secure, while its recommendations are fully explainable and intended to support, not replace, the expertise of safeguarding professionals. Early testing has shown that the system can reliably process complex case histories within operational timescales and produce well-structured recommendations that practitioners found clear and relevant. In many cases, it suggested additional safeguarding actions that could broaden discussion during MARAC meetings. The funding has enabled the team to refine the AI model and prepare to take it to the next stages of development including evaluation and test deployment. The team has also proposed the development of an additional three AI-driven solutions which, when deployed in tandem with this AI model, would enable a gold-standard MARAC practice in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. By combining advances in AI with the expertise of frontline professionals, the project is helping to develop responsible technologies that could strengthen safeguarding, improve multiagency collaboration and ultimately deliver better outcomes for victims/survivors of domestic abuse.

Preparing students for an AI-powered future AI@Southampton is playing a central role in the University’s AI Fluency initiative that will see Southampton providing every undergraduate student with structured AI training to thrive in an AI-driven world. The initiative will equip students, regardless of their discipline, with the knowledge, skills and ethical understanding needed to use AI confidently and responsibly.

make,” says Kate. “We want people to make informed decisions about how they engage with AI and then choose the areas they want to explore in greater depth.”

Rather than focusing solely on how to use AI tools, the programme is designed to help students understand AI’s wider impact on society, the economy and the environment while encouraging critical and creative thinking.

The course is mapped to UNESCO’s AI competency framework and combines practical skills with critical reflection, creativity and responsible innovation.

Professor Kate Borthwick, WSI Associate Director and University Lead for AI in Education says the University’s aim is to develop graduates who can shape, rather than simply use, AI technologies. She explains: “We’re still teaching humans. In order to thrive in the future, people need technical knowledge of AI, but they also need to understand its impact on society, education and the economy.” One of the key components of the AI Fluency initiative is Southampton’s new AI Driving Licence, a foundational online course that will initially be available to all students, before being adapted for staff as well. “The AI Driving Licence develops practical AI skills and it will also encourage learners to consider AI’s wider impact on society, reflect on their own use of AI, decide how they want to engage with it, and be accountable for the choices they

Once they have completed the course, participants will be able to follow different learning pathways tailored to areas such as research, education, knowledge exchange and professional services through the University’s new AI Driving Licence Library. The AI Fluency initiative will also invite new students to take the Cyborg Challenge, a series of online activities that introduce students to using AI responsibly before they arrive on campus. Through quizzes, games and practical activities, students will explore how generative AI works, learn effective prompting techniques and consider the ethical questions surrounding its use. WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall adds: “It is vital that our graduates not only understand the technology but are equipped to shape its future responsibly. This initiative positions Southampton at the forefront of education, empowering students to become ethical leaders and innovators in AI.”

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR AN AI-POWERED FUTURE

Celebrating a successful first year Southampton’s online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence (MA in AI) has been a resounding success in its first year, with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds enrolling. Unlike many AI master’s programmes that focus primarily on programming and technical development, Southampton’s MA explores the wider impact of AI on society, organisations and the global economy. It draws on the expertise and experience of internationally renowned leaders in AI, including WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall, who has advised the United Nations on AI and contributes a module on the Global AI Economy and AI Governance. Students examine how AI is transforming business, public services and everyday life, while developing a strong understanding of its ethical, legal and governance challenges. WSI Deputy Director Professor Leslie Carr Les has been instrumental in developing the new programme. He says: “We’ve always known it’s important to train people who aren’t programmers or scientists. AI is affecting every sector, so managers, business leaders and professionals all need a deeper understanding of how the technology works and how it will affect their organisations.” “Companies increasingly need people who can do more than build AI systems. They need professionals who understand AI’s capabilities and limitations, can identify where it can create value, and can navigate the ethical and societal questions that come with its adoption.” Students on the programme come from diverse professional backgrounds and learn from experts across disciplines including computer science, sociology, psychology, criminology and law, reflecting the broad impact AI is having across society. The MA offers three specialist pathways: • MA in Artificial Intelligence – students gain the skills to apply and evaluate statistical and machine learning tools with a strong focus on ethical and practical considerations. • MA in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation) – students learn how AI drives governance, economic and workplace transformation, focusing on innovation, ethics and evolving workforce skills. • MA in Artificial Intelligence (Criminal Justice Systems) – students examine the ethical, social and political challenges of AI in criminal justice, focusing on surveillance, predictive tech and global AI-driven harms. For more information about the MA in AI: www.online.southampton.ac.uk/courses/ studying-artificial-intelligence

Summer School explores AI’s impact on society WSI once again provided a module on Southampton’s International Summer School that attracted students from around the world. Following the success of last year’s course, the WSI offered participants another opportunity to learn from researchers at the forefront of AI innovation. AI and Society: From Creativity to Justice and Global Challenges explores how AI is changing the way we create art, deliver justice and tackle global challenges. Led by WSI Deputy Director Professor Leslie Carr and AI@Southampton Manager Claire Wilkins, the two-week course drew on expertise from across Southampton to examine how AI is transforming every aspect of society, from the creative industries to democracy, public policy and international governance. Rather than focusing solely on the technology behind AI, the course encouraged students to consider its wider social, ethical and cultural implications. Through a series of interactive lectures and discussions, they explored topics including AI in the justice system, AI-generated music and art, the impact of AI on democracy and elections, and international efforts to develop responsible AI. The programme reflected Southampton’s strengths in interdisciplinary AI research, bringing together expertise from computer science, social sciences, the humanities and the arts. It is designed for students from a wide range of academic backgrounds who are interested in understanding how AI is reshaping the world around them.

Developing public engagement skills The WSI and AI@Southampton are continuing to work with Southampton’s Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERu) to help researchers build the skills and confidence to engage public audiences with AI research. WSI Deputy Director Professor Leslie Carr and WSI Collaboration Manager Courtney Lee joined PERU’s Lisa Hanley to deliver a dedicated Public Engagement with AI training session for researchers and academics. The interactive workshop explored why public engagement matters in AI research, helping participants identify effective activities for engaging with different communities and stakeholders and consider how to evaluate the impact of their engagement. This encourages meaningful dialogue between the public and researchers, by equipping academics with practical public engagement skills.

Comedy Academy helps researchers put science centre stage Southampton’s Comedy Academy is gearing up for two important dates in its public performance schedule – at the British Science Festival, being held at Southampton, and the University’s 75th anniversary celebrations. The Comedy Academy was founded by WSI Deputy Director Professor Leslie Carr and equips academics with the skills to communicate complex research through humour, storytelling and live performance, making science more engaging, accessible and memorable. It helps them turn their work into compelling comedy routines, supported by writing workshops, storytelling exercises and performance opportunities Participants develop a 10-minute stand-up set inspired by their own research that they can perform in a compilation show, giving them the opportunity to test their material with public audiences. They can develop their stories further into a 30 minute independent show which they can perform at festivals. Dr Paul Conway, Associate Professor in Psychology, has just performed a show ‘Are You Evil? Let’s Check the Data...’ at this year’s Camden Fringe. It was based on his research into moral psychology and explores nothing less than whether people should be wearing a halo, horns or both! By combining comedy with science communication, the Comedy Academy is helping researchers share their work with a wider audience beyond traditional academic settings.

Spotlight on students and alumni Ashton Kingdon PhD Web Science, 2022 Associate Professor of Criminology Anticipating tomorrow’s security challenges Could data centres become future targets for terrorism and political violence? Web Science alumna Dr Ashton Kingdon’s latest research is trying to understand the potential threat to data centres, particularly those built in water-stressed regions, from the growing use of AI. Her work has already attracted significant attention, leading to her delivering the keynote address at the National Data Centre Academy, where she spoke to industry leaders responsible for securing the UK’s growing AI infrastructure. Ashton’s work has always been about looking ahead. Her previous work has explored the links between technology and radicalisation, gaming and extremism, and terrorism and climate change. Her most recent project is no exception. Looking beyond today’s threats Ashton’s idea for her latest research came about during an event called the Anatomy of Influence in Estonia, where she was speaking about the relationship between gaming and violent extremism. She recalls: “I kept hearing from civil society organisations about growing protests around data centres. People were concerned about water use, energy consumption and the environmental impact of AI. “I remember thinking, ‘What happens if these concerns become something more?’ Data centres are one of the physical faces of AI, the mushroom people can see, and that raises important questions about whether they could become targets for political violence in the future.” 32

Bringing disciplines together The six-month project was multistakeholder and interdisciplinary. It included interviews and workshops with intelligence professionals, security specialists, climate experts, data centre operators, terrorism and extremism researchers, hydrologists, water sustainability experts, and civil society organisations from around the world. She has also spoken with experts in the media to understand how AI is portrayed and perceived by the public. “I wanted to understand the issue from every angle. This isn’t just about security. It’s about technology, climate change, public trust and how societies respond to rapid technological change,” she says. Ashton has already been called upon to advise on the future security implications of AI infrastructure and how organisations responsible for protecting critical national infrastructure can mitigate these risks. A Web Science perspective Now Director of the Centre for Criminology in the Digital Age at Southampton, Ashton believes her Web Science training has been central to her career.

Looking ahead, Ashton hopes to expand her research into the wider security implications of AI infrastructure, from semiconductor supply chains to the public figures and organisations associated with AI development.

“What Web Science taught me was to connect the technical and the social. It gave me the confidence and skills to explain complex technologies to governments, intelligence agencies, industry and the public.

“I’ve always been interested in being proactive rather than reactive. If we can identify risks before they become crises, we have a much better chance of managing them.

“Its interdisciplinary approach has helped me move beyond traditional criminology into emerging areas including online extremism, gaming, AI ethics and digital harms,” she says.

“Southampton’s WSI is one of the few places that encourages you to look at technology and society together. That’s where the really important questions are, and increasingly, where the answers need to be found,” she adds.

Matt Javanshir Human-Centred AI PhD “It was the first time my finance career and my creative life suddenly collided,” explains Matt. “AI could analyse data, but it could also generate music, images and writing. Suddenly the questions I was asking at work and the conversations I was having with creative friends became the same conversation.” A new direction Originally from Southampton, Matt spent 15 years at JP Morgan, working across risk and controls, and internal audit. He helped develop machine learning and data-driven tools for teams around the world. After going part-time and eventually leaving the bank to pursue freelance music, other video game-related endeavours, and spend more time with family, Matt was encouraged by his brother Ryan – a Southampton Web Science PhD graduate – to apply for a Human-Centred AI studentship at the WSI. When two worlds collide Two very different worlds collided for Matt Javanshir when he signed up for a HumanCentred AI PhD at Southampton’s WSI.

His research is examining the governance needed to navigate both innovation in AI and the long-term sustainability of the UK’s creative industries.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance at Southampton, Matt built a successful career at JP Morgan, using data analytics, machine learning and governance to improve decision-making across the bank.

“My PhD proposal is about understanding whether these two worlds can coexist. Some people see AI as the future, while many in the creative industries feel their work is being taken without permission and to displace them. I wanted to explore whether there’s a better way,” he says.

In his spare time, he was a freelance composer and sound designer for the video games industry, and was surrounded by friends and family working in creative professions. The arrival of generative AI brought those two worlds together.

Matt says: “Tom encourages me to think about history, culture and creativity, while Shoaib brings the AI and technical perspective. Not many people get the opportunity to work across engineering, social science and the arts in quite this way.” Research with real-world impact Matt has already presented his work in a PhD symposium at the international ACM WebSci’26 conference in Germany and has had a paper published with Tom and WSI Specialist Policy Officer Alistair Sackley on Creative sovereignty as national security: a governance framework for generative AI. (See page 18). Looking ahead, he hopes to continue working at the intersection of research and public policy. He says: “The UK’s creative industries are one of our greatest strengths, but we also need to navigate these new technologies. The challenge is understanding both well enough to make good decisions. “The Web, social media and AI don’t exist separately from society, they shape it, and society shapes them in return. Web Science is one of the few places that brings those conversations together, and that’s exactly where I want to be.”

Learning across disciplines Supervised by WSI Deputy Director Professor Thomas Irvine and Dr Shoaib Jameel, Matt says one of the greatest strengths of the project is its interdisciplinary approach. 33

Celebrating 75 years of the Turing Test Seventy-five years ago Alan Turing published his seminal paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence introducing the concept of the Turing Test which asks, ‘Can machines think?’

In the paper Turing proposed a test to determine whether machines could think and the hope that machines would eventually compete with humans in all intellectual fields.

generative AI and how society should evaluate increasingly capable intelligent systems.

To celebrate the historic occasion, worldrenowned speakers, leading researchers, policymakers and industry experts gathered at the Royal Society to reflect on Alan Turing’s enduring legacy and the future of AI.

Shaping the next generation of AI Three expert panel discussions examined Turing’s original vision, assessed the relevance and uses of the Turing Test today, and debated how the future of the Test may be updated to remain fit for purpose amidst rapid developments in AI and machine learning technology.

The event was organised by the WSI, in collaboration with the Royal Society, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Turing’s paper that introduced the ‘imitation game’.

The event aligns closely with the WSI’s mission to shift the conversation beyond what AI can do, to how it should be developed and evaluated.

More than 175 people attended the event in person, while another 1,000 joined online, with media including the BBC, the Financial Times, The Economist and Bloomberg covering the occasion.

Turing Test at 75 highlighted the importance of safety, transparency and societal benefit, while addressing challenges around accountability, bias, environmental impact and the unequal distribution of AI’s risks and rewards.

From Turing’s vision to today’s AI revolution Hosted by WSI Director, Professor Dame Wendy Hall, the celebration featured keynote addresses from computing pioneer Dr Alan Kay, AI expert Professor Emeritus Gary Marcus, Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Dr William Isaac of Google DeepMind and Professor Yarin Gal of the AI Security Institute. Alan Turing’s nephew, Sir Dermot Turing, reflected on the historical significance of his uncle’s work, while musician Peter Gabriel joined discussions on responsible and ethical AI.

It also encouraged participants to reflect on how AI can evolve in ways that are responsible and beneficial to society. Alongside the conference, visitors explored an exhibition tracing the evolution of computing from Turing’s pioneering work to today’s AI technologies. Find out more about the event

The symposium explored whether the Turing Test remains fit for an era of 35

International impact Dame Wendy Hall calls for global cooperation on responsible AI As world leaders gathered at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to discuss the future of AI, Southampton was at the heart of the global conversation with WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall delivering a keynote address. Dame Wendy called for greater international collaboration to ensure AI is developed responsibly and for the benefit of society, especially those currently not well represented in conversations about the future of the technology. Speaking alongside world AI leaders, including Google DeepMind CEO and Nobel Laureate Demis Hassabis, Dame Wendy urged delegates to look beyond the technology itself and consider its wider social impact. Drawing on her experience as one of the pioneers of the World Wide Web, she reflected on how transformative technologies often have unintended consequences. “It is not enough to ask what a technology can do. We must also ask what might go wrong and how we will mitigate harm while innovation continues at speed,” she advises. Describing AI systems as ‘social machines’ shaped as much by human behaviour as by algorithms, Dame Wendy highlighted the need for global cooperation on ethics, governance and shared standards. She argued that while regulation may be developed nationally, the principles that underpin responsible AI must be international.

In an interview on stage after her talk, Dame Wendy had some frank words for the large audience in the room and online about the AI industry’s lack of diversity. “Women are 50% of the population and I fought my whole career to get women into tech, but you don’t see enough female leaders,” she said, to loud applause from the mostly young audience. “That’s the problem and it isn’t a problem women should be solving. It’s a problem the men have to solve as well.” Joining Dame Wendy at the summit was WSI Deputy Director Professor Thomas Irvine. He reflects: “Things are moving quickly, and solid data about what is actually happening is scarce. This is the moment for the academic community, alongside the third sector and the technology platforms, to step up. We’re ready to do our part at WSI.” He also emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary voices. “Humanities and the arts need to be in the room at these discussions. I met impressive social scientists and creative artists at the Summit and their perspectives are essential.” While in India, Dame Wendy and Tom visited Southampton’s Delhi Campus to talk about how AI technology is impacting everything from computer science to creative practice. They both gave lectures followed by open discussions with staff and students. “It was wonderful to talk to such a lively group about how they envision AI evolving on their new campus,” adds Tom. The conversation was a chance for students, academics and professional service colleagues on the evolving role of AI at the campus.

Can AIs be held responsible for the music they make? When WSI Deputy Director Professor Thomas Irvine asked a generative AI music agent for thirty seconds of chamber music in a baroque style, it gave him a three-minute composition. Asked why, it produced a list of instructions (period instruments, terraced dynamics, no modern vibrato) that made sense for classical genres. But it couldn’t explain why it chose the length of a pop song. The machine was working from a checklist of words it associated with correct historical style. So, Tom argues, have generations of classical musicians. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Musicological Society, in November, one of the world’s largest gatherings of music scholars, Tom set his AI experiment alongside one of the fiercest arguments in 20th Century music – the fight over ‘historically informed performance (HIP)’, which holds that older music should be played on period instruments using period techniques. Its most fearsome critic, the late University of California Professor Richard Taruskin, accused HIP performers and scholars of concealing an undemocratic idea of who gets to decide what counts as a good performance, namely themselves. Taruskin insisted that performance is a question of responsibility, and that responsibility is never settled by pointing at a composer’s supposed intentions. Musicians must always interpret anew, whatever academics say a composer would have expected. Tom tests today’s AI music against the same standard. He knows the territory, having spent over a decade earlier in his career working as a professional historical performer across Europe and the United States.

Women are 50% of the population and I fought my whole career to get women into tech, but you don’t see enough female leaders. That’s the problem and it isn’t a problem women should be solving. It’s a problem the men have to solve as well.” Professor Dame Wendy Hall WSI Director

“I agree with Taruskin that there is no perfectly authentic performer and would add that there is no autonomously intelligent machine. Both are nodes in a network of collective knowledge. Neither can be assumed to behave responsibly just because,” he explains. His paper brings WSI’s socio-technical ethos to musicology by drawing on the Edinburgh Declaration on Responsibility for Responsible AI, which emerged from the UK’s Trustworthy Autonomous Systems programme hosted at Southampton. He is developing the argument in a new book project Aligning Music tracing the long contest between statistical reduction and expressive resistance, from Enlightenment dice games to platform capitalism.

INTERNATIONAL IMPACT

Exploring the future of creativity As AI transforms the creative industries, a new Southampton initiative is bringing together musicians, artists and researchers to explore how AI can support creativity while protecting the rights of creators. The AI Music Lab will be led by WSI Deputy Director Professor Thomas Irvine and his colleague Dr Pablo Galaz, a Lecturer in Composition and Music Technology. Its mission is to investigate how AI is changing the way music is created, performed and shared. It builds on a long tradition of using AI tools in music that predates the current generative AI revolution. Together with a team of PhD students, Tom and Pablo will explore the creative opportunities offered by this revolution, including the use of AI tools that are stored locally and therefore are not under the control of commercial platforms. Members of the Lab will also investigate ethical and policy challenges surrounding copyright, intellectual property and artistic ownership. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human creativity, the Lab aims to develop new ways for artists and technology to work together by experimenting with both new technologies and new approaches to policy. Both are informed by the spirit of WSI’s mission to understand the human impacts of digital innovation.

Tom believes that musicians and artists play a central role in shaping the future of AI, and Southampton students and researchers will collaborate on creative projects using AI while critically examining the wider social and cultural impact of these emerging technologies. Tom explains: “There are real concerns across the music industry and amongst academic colleagues about what AI means for artists. Those concerns are valid and deserve to be taken seriously. We need to work together to develop AI in ways that support creativity while respecting the people whose work inspires it.” The Lab is open to collaboration across the University and beyond. Its first meetings have been attended by colleagues from Psychology, Electronics and Computer Science, Law and the Winchester School of Art. Outside guests have included academics from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Kings College London and Brown University in the United States. The AI Music Lab’s early work includes supporting research into governance frameworks that address the use of artists’ work to train generative AI systems, helping to inform debates around copyright and creative sovereignty. One of the first outputs is the Creative Sovereignty: Securing the UK’s Creative Future in the Age of AI paper written by Tom, PhD student Matthew Javanshir and WSI Specialist Policy Officer Alistair Sackley. Find out more about the paper on page 18.

Web Science celebrates 20 years of global impact The global Web Science community is marking its 20th anniversary this year, celebrating two decades of research into the social and technical impact of the Web.

Shaping the global debate on the future of digital democracy How can digital technologies strengthen democracy while ensuring participation, accountability and inclusion?

Web Science began in 2006 with the launch of the Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI), a partnership between MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the University of Southampton.

WSI Associate Director Professor Matthew Ryan is helping to explore this question as AI and digital platforms transform the relationship between citizens and institutions.

Since its launch, the concept of Web Science has been widely disseminated and has established itself as an important area of activity to advance the study of the Web as a complex socio-technical system.

Matt was part of the organising team for the 2025 Participedia School on Digital Democracy, an international programme bringing together researchers, students, policymakers and practitioners to examine how technology is reshaping democratic practice around the world.

In 2010, the Web Science Trust (WST) succeeded the WSRI as a UK-based charitable organisation hosted by the University of Southampton. The WSI is a founding member of the international Web Science Trust Network of Laboratories (WSTNet), which connects leading research laboratories across the globe to support Web Science research and education. The annual Web Science Conference, established by the WST in 2009 and adopted by ACM in 2011, is a vibrant, interdisciplinary forum for, not only Web Science researchers, but other researchers from related and complementary disciplines. The 2027 conference will be held in Singapore from 25 to 28 May. The anniversary year has also brought new leadership, with WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall becoming Chair of the WST Board of Trustees.

Hosted jointly by Tsinghua University in Beijing and the International University of Japan in Niigata, the four-day school welcomed around 100 participants from more than 20 countries and a wide range of disciplines, including political science, computer science, public administration and urban studies. The programme explored emerging challenges around digital participation, algorithmic decision-making and AI-assisted governance through masterclasses, discussions, simulations and collaborative activities. Professor Ryan, alongside Southampton colleague Dr Katy Tabero and Professor Giovanni Allegretti, from the University of Coimbra, led a future-focused workshop that used speculative scenarios and design-thinking approaches to help participants imagine more inclusive and accountable models of digital democracy. The work reflects Southampton’s interdisciplinary and internationalising collaborative approach to understanding how technology is changing society, bringing together expertise in governance, participation and digital innovation. Matt also took part in a recent visit to the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China with Katy and another Southampton colleague Dr Rafael Mestre, where he gave a talk on AI in public administration. 39

Find out more: www.southampton.ac.uk/wsi www.southampton.ac.uk/ai Get in touch: wsi@soton.ac.uk ai@soton.ac.uk

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