Dr Susan Leavy’ works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics and digital policy at University College Dublin. Her research spans AI ethics, natural language processing and AI auditing, integrating technical methods with policy analysis to identify and mitigate ethical risks in AI systems.

Susan studied AI at Edinburgh University in 1999 before working in technology in financial services. She later returned to academia, completing an MPhil in Gender Studies and a PhD in Computer Science. This cross-disciplinary background shapes her approach to AI ethics. She was among the first to highlight gender bias in AI and has worked on developing methods for mitigating AI bias and broader societal harms.

She is a member of the Irish Government’s AI Advisory Council and was nominated by government to the OECD Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) where she co-chairs a project within the Responsible AI working group. She served as a senior advisor on the International AI Safety Report (2025-26), endorsed by 30 countries, and was nominated by the Irish Government to an EU working group on the AI Act. She works closely with policymakers at national and EU level to ensure that AI governance is grounded in rigorous research.

Within the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, Susan co-leads the Trustworthy AI research group, which has built a strong network of researchers across Ireland. She is an associate editor of ACM AI Letters and publishes in high-impact venues across computer science and AI ethics. At UCD, she serves as lead coordinator for the ARC Hub for ICT, supporting the commercialisation of research and fostering responsible innovation.