Merve Hickok is the founder of AIethicist.org and Lighthouse Career Consulting LLC.

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She is a social researcher, trainer, and consultant working on AI ethics, policy and regulation. She focuses on AI bias, impact of AI systems on fundamental rights, democratic values, and social justice. She provides consultancy and training services to private & public organizations on Responsible AI - ethical and responsible development, use and governance of AI.

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Merve is a Data Ethics Lecturer at University of Michigan. She is also Research Director at Center for AI & Digital Policy. The Center educates AI policy practitioners and advocates across ~60 countries and leads a research group which advises international organizations (such as European Commission, UNESCO, Council of Europe, etc) on AI policy and regulatory developments.

Merve also works with several non-profit organizations globally to advance both the academic and professional research in this field for underrepresented groups. She has been recognized by a number of organizations - most recently as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ – 2021, and as Runner-up for Responsible AI Leader of the Year - 2022 (Women in AI).

Merve was previously a VP at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and held senior roles varying from Country HR Manager to International Lead on recruitment technologies, benchmarking, and diversity recruitment across more than 27 countries.

She is also a Senior Certified Professional by SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) and Career Coach certified by Neuroleadership Institute.

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CURRENT AI-FOCUSED WORK:

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• Research Director at Center for AI & Digital Policy

• Data Ethics Lecturer at University of Michigan, School of Information

• Founding editorial board member at Springer Nature AI & Ethics journal

• Advisory board member at Transatlantic Policy Quarterly

• Advisor at Better Images of AI

• Advisor at Civic Software Foundation

• Fellow at ForHumanity Center working to draft framework for independent audit of AI systems

• Mentor at Women in AI Ethics Collective

• Steering Committee Member at Start Access (organized by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD))

• Working Group member at Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P7008  & 2863 and IEC SEG10 Working Groups, developing global standards and frameworks on ethics of autonomous and intelligent systems, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration

• Member at Open Community for Ethics in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (OCEANIS) alongside national institutions.

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Merve also works with a Nevada-based social enterprise, High Sierra Industries, focused on learning systems for individuals with intellectual disabilities. She manages IT and software projects, acts as the organization's HIPAA privacy and security officer, and leads all the business process improvement initiatives.

She is a member of the board of directors for Northern Nevada International Center (University of Nevada-Reno). NNIC serves as Northern Nevada's refugee resettlement agency to help displaced persons and victims of human trafficking, as well as organizing programs for international delegations through the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies. It is among the top organizations in the United States hosting over a dozen U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs large exchange programs.