ProfEdward Santow

Edward Santow is the Director - Policy & Governance at the Human Technology Institute, and Industry Professor - Responsible Technology at the University of Technology Sydney. Ed is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.

Ed co-founded the Human Technology Institute, which he leads with Prof Nicholas Davis and Prof Sally Cripps. Ed's focus areas include digital government, the future of AI regulation, the application and enforcement of law for AI, facial recognition technology and digital identity.

Ed serves on the Australian Government Services Independent Advisory Board and National Quantum Advisory Committee. Ed is the independent chair of the NSW Government AI Review Committee. Ed serves on a number of non-profit boards, including The Conversation Media Group and CareerSeekers. He is a patron of the Refugee Advice + Casework Service, and a Fellow of the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.

The Human Technology Institute promotes human rights in the development, use, regulation and oversight of new technology. HTI has three interconnected laboratories: the Human Technology Skills Lab, Tools Lab and Policy Lab. Ed’s areas of expertise include human rights, technology and regulation, public law and discrimination law.

From 2016-2021, Ed was Australia's Human Rights Commissioner, where he led the Commission's work on AI & new technology; refugees and migration; human rights issues affecting LGBTIQ+ people; national security; and implementing the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.

In 2009, Ed was presented with an Australian Leadership Award, and in 2017 he was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Ed previously served as chief executive of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (now called the Justice & Equity Centre). Prior to that, he a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Law School, a research director at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, a policy officer at the Australian Law Reform Commission, and a solicitor in private practice.