Robots, Regulation, and the Changing Nature of Public Space

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Join the Global Engagement Seminar: Me and My Robot on Wednesday, March 20 between 7:00-8:30PM for a talk and Q&A presentation by Kristen Thomasen on Robots, Regulation, and the Changing Nature of Public Space. 

Kristen Thomasen

Kristen Thomasen is a leading expert in robotics law and policy and an assistant professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC. 

Specializing in drone regulation and the privacy impacts of robotic technologies and artificial intelligence, Thomasen’s research is focused on the ways automation and robotic technologies in public spaces affect equity, accessibility, and privacy, and how automation and surveillance can introduce privatization into the public sphere. She is a regular public commentator in the media and serves on the Legal Expertise Committee of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, as well as the International Committee for Robot Arms Control. Thomasen earned her JD degree at the University of Ottawa and completed her PhD in Law at the University of Ottawa. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, she served as law clerk to the Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Abella at the Supreme Court of Canada.