Credits | Notion

This research was conducted by Roya Pakzad during her tenure as a 2023-24 Practitioner Data and Democracy Fellow at the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the School of Data Science at the University of Virginia.

Roya Pakzad is the founder and director of Taraaz, a non-profit organization working at the intersection of technology and human rights. She is also an affiliated scholar at UC Berkeley’s CITRIS Policy Lab and has held roles at Stanford University, including as a Research Associate and Project Leader in Technology and Human Rights. With a multidisciplinary background in electrical engineering and human rights studies, Roya’s expertise spans digital technologies, corporate accountability, and human rights-centered design.

Her work has been featured in Wired, Financial Times, BBC, and Reuters and has been recognized through prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, Twitter Engineering, and Meta. Roya also holds several advisory roles, including as a member of Meta's AI Expert Advisory Roundtable and as an Advisory Council Member at the Open Technology Fund (OTF).

Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Roya now resides in Santa Cruz, California, where she has contributed to local initiatives such as serving as a Commissioner for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and collaborating with YIMBY Action. She also writes the newsletter Humane AI.

📇 Contact Info: [email protected]

Acknowledgment

The U.S. Responsible AI Procurement Index would not have been possible without the invaluable support and insights of a dedicated community of experts and collaborators.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff at UVA’s School of Data Science, the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and the researchers at the Digital Technology and Democracy (DTD) Lab for their guidance throughout this project. A heartfelt acknowledgment goes to Claudia Scholz Ph.D. and Will Thompson for their invaluable support, which made this fellowship both productive and memorable.

Gratitude is also extended to the IEEE Standards Association's AI Procurement Working Group (P3119), particularly Gisele Waters Ph.D. and Dr. Cari Miller at the AI Procurement Lab, as well as to the researchers at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). Thanks to Shabnam Mojtahedi from the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) for sharing insights early in the project. Appreciation goes to Cynthia Conti-Cook and Kate Stoll Ph.D. from the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI Center) for generously exchanging ideas and sharing their knowledge.

Last but definitely not least, many thanks to Fatima T for her support in research and development.