Anna Nickelson
Anna is a technologist, researcher, and science communicator dedicated to the safe and responsible implementation of emerging technologies. Her goal is to leverage her technical and socio-technical understanding to guide the deployment of AI to ensure it has a positive impact on individuals and society.
Pursuant to this goal, Anna received a Ph.D. and MS in Robotics from Oregon State University. She also holds a BS in Mathematics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Her research focuses on the mechanisms that enable autonomous systems to adapt to novel situations. The goal of her research is to understand what makes AI falter, how to design around these vulnerabilities, and how to communicate the flaws of AI systems to the broader public. During her Ph.D., she also worked at the Naval Research Laboratory and the Brookings Institution. In addition to her technical work, Anna also studied science communication and has volunteered in K-12 classrooms across the country to speak about AI and robotics.
Prior to graduate school, Anna spent six years at Dolby Laboratories as a project manager. At Dolby, she managed the training program for the global support division consisting of over 120 engineers worldwide.
Anna is eager to assist lawmakers in crafting policies that are informed by the nuances of technology. Her policy interests include equitable access to technology, AI safety, data bias, and data privacy.