Overview
Background
Dr Caitlin Curtis is a research specialising in responsible AI, applied ethics, and emerging technologies. She leads national collaborations on AI governance and digital rights, shapes public policy and discourse, and created one of Australia’s first Responsible AI university courses.
Dr Curtis is a recipient of the 'ABC Top 5 Scientist Media Residency Award', and the Australian Institute of Science & Policy Tall Poppy Science Award', recognizing excellence in both research and science communication.
Teaching
- Caitlin currently teaches the UQ Master of Business Analytics course: Responsible Artificial Intelligence - which looks at the ethical, legal, and social issues relating to AI and automated systems.
- She also lectures into Responsible Management for the Global Economy, particularly around the ethical and responsible management of artificial intelligence and similar technologies.
She also coordinates and moderates the UQ AI Collaboratory's 'Ask Me Anything about AI' series, which is a unique forum that brings together panellists with technical expertise in artificial intelligence, along with experts from across social science, communication, policy, or law to answer audience questions and spark multidisciplinary discussion around important topics relating to AI systems, including: AI social media predictions, facial recognition systems, misinformation and AI, and deep learning.
Availability
- Dr Caitlin Curtis is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of South Florida
Research interests
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Responsible AI and applied ethics: Responsible deployment of emerging technologies
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Digital Governance: public trust and ethical deployment of AI in society
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Governance and predictive applications of digital genomic data
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Equitable access to and policy to support emerging biotechnology & AI in health
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Effective communication of science and emerging technology
Research impacts
Dr Curtis' work appears in journals such as Computers in Human Behavior and AI & Ethics. She also leads impactful public-facing scholarship, having authored more than a dozen articles (10 as lead) in The Conversation, reaching over 500,000 readers and placing me among UQ’s top 65 most-read academics. She has appeared in media interviews to discuss her research, including ABC 7.30 Report, TripleJ Hack, and The Health Report with Norman Swan, among others. This commitment to public engagement, public discourse, and trust-building is further reflected in her co-authored book chapter, Establishing Trust in Science Communication (Curtis et al. 2023). Her work has informed national policy through five formal submissions into national inquiries, and been cited in government reports (e.g. Australia’s Safe and Responsible AI 2023 paper). Her work has been recognised with BEL Faculty and national awards for research impact and public engagement.
Works
Search Professor Caitlin Curtis’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2025
Other Outputs
AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Curtis, Caitlin (2025, 07 18). AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly The Conversation
Featured
2024
Other Outputs
Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Curtis, Caitlin (2024). Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI). Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/48dfdd6
Featured
2023
Other Outputs
Trust in AI: Country insights on shifting public perceptions of AI: Country findings
Gillespie, Nicole, Lockey, Steve, Curtis, Caitlin and Pool, Javad (2023). Trust in AI: Country insights on shifting public perceptions of AI: Country findings. Brisbane, Australia; New York, United States: The University of Queensland; KPMG Australia.
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Enlarging the model of the human at the heart of human-centered AI: a social self-determination model of AI system impact
Bingley, William J., Haslam, S. Alexander, Steffens, Niklas K., Gillespie, Nicole, Worthy, Peter, Curtis, Caitlin, Lockey, Steven, Bialkowski, Alina, Ko, Ryan K.L. and Wiles, Janet (2023). Enlarging the model of the human at the heart of human-centered AI: a social self-determination model of AI system impact. New Ideas in Psychology, 70 101025, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2023.101025
Featured
2023
Book Chapter
Establishing trust in science communication
Curtis, Caitlin, Gillespie, Nicole and Okimoto, Tyler (2023). Establishing trust in science communication. Teaching science students to communicate: a practical guide. (pp. 39-47) edited by Susan Rowland and Louise Kuchel. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-91628-2_5
Featured
2023
Other Outputs
Regulation is key to responsible AI, but what might this look like?
Curtis, Caitlin and Lockey, Steven (2023, 04 05). Regulation is key to responsible AI, but what might this look like? The Australian and New Zealand School of Government / National Regulators Community of Practice Newsletter
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Where is the human in human-centered AI? Insights from developer priorities and user experiences
Bingley, William J., Curtis, Caitlin, Lockey, Steven, Bialkowski, Alina, Gillespie, Nicole, Haslam, S. Alexander, Ko, Ryan K.L., Steffens, Niklas, Wiles, Janet and Worthy, Peter (2023). Where is the human in human-centered AI? Insights from developer priorities and user experiences. Computers in Human Behavior, 141 107617, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107617
Featured
2023
Book Chapter
More than black printed words on white paper: intergenerational health justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Creamer, Sandra, Toombs, Maree, Tarrago, Avelina, Williams, Renee, Fraser, Jed, Curtis, Caitlin and Brolan, Claire E. (2023). More than black printed words on white paper: intergenerational health justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australian public health law: contemporary issues and challenges. (pp. 153-178) edited by Belinda Bennett and Ian Freckelton. Alexandria, NSW Australia: The Federation Press.
Featured
2023
Other Outputs
Submission to the Australian Government: Attorney-General’s Department review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) - genetic and genomic data
Curtis, Caitlin, Hereward, James and Newton, Giselle (2023). Submission to the Australian Government: Attorney-General’s Department review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) - genetic and genomic data. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Government. Attorney-General’s Department.
Featured
2023
Other Outputs
A survey of over 17,000 people indicates only half of us are willing to trust AI at work
Gillespie, Nicole, Curtis, Caitlin, Pool, Javad and Lockey, Steven (2023, 02 23). A survey of over 17,000 people indicates only half of us are willing to trust AI at work The Conversation
Featured
2023
Other Outputs
Trust in Artificial Intelligence: A global study
Gillespie, Nicole, Lockey, Steven, Curtis, Caitlin, Pool, Javad and Ali Akbari (2023). Trust in Artificial Intelligence: A global study. Brisbane, Australia; New York, United States: The University of Queensland; KPMG Australia. doi: 10.14264/00d3c94
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Supporting Indigenous health equity strategic planning: a Queensland perspective
Toombs, Maree R., Curtis, Caitlin and Brolan, Claire E. (2023). Supporting Indigenous health equity strategic planning: a Queensland perspective. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (1), 5-8. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51794
Featured
2022
Journal Article
Health care in the metaverse
Curtis, Caitlin and Brolan, Claire E. (2022). Health care in the metaverse. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (1), 46-46. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51793
Featured
2022
Conference Publication
Necessary but not sufficient: assurance mechanisms for enhancing trust in AI-enabled job screening
Lockey, Steve, Gillespie, Nicole, Curtis, Caitlin, Bingley, William, Worthy, Peter, Haslam, Alexander, Steffens, Niklas, Bialkowski, Alina, Ko, Ryan and Wiles, Janet (2022). Necessary but not sufficient: assurance mechanisms for enhancing trust in AI-enabled job screening. 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Seattle, WA United States, 5-9 August 2022. Briarcliff Manor, NY United States: Academy of Management. doi: 10.5465/ambpp.2022.10638abstract
Featured
2022
Journal Article
AI-deploying organizations are key to addressing ‘perfect storm’ of AI risks
Curtis, Caitlin, Gillespie, Nicole and Lockey, Steven (2022). AI-deploying organizations are key to addressing ‘perfect storm’ of AI risks. AI and Ethics, 3 (1), 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s43681-022-00163-7
Featured
2021
Other Outputs
New technology lets police link DNA to appearance and ancestry – and it’s coming to Australia
Curtis, Caitlin and Hereward, James (2021, 12 13). New technology lets police link DNA to appearance and ancestry – and it’s coming to Australia The Conversation
Featured
2021
Conference Publication
Privacy-preserving gradient descent for distributed genome-wide analysis
Zhang, Yanjun, Bai, Guangdong, Li, Xue, Curtis, Caitlin, Chen, Chen and Ko, Ryan K. L. (2021). Privacy-preserving gradient descent for distributed genome-wide analysis. ESORICS 2021 - 26th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Darmstadt, Germany, 4–8 October, 2021. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-88428-4_20
Featured
2021
Other Outputs
Trust in artificial Intelligence: a five country study
Gillespie, Nicole, Lockey, Steve and Curtis, Caitlin (2021). Trust in artificial Intelligence: a five country study. Brisbane, Australia; New York, United States: The University of Queensland; KPMG. doi: 10.14264/e34bfa3
Featured
2020
Other Outputs
Submission to the Review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
Curtis, Caitlin, Gillespie, Nicole and Lockey, Steve (2020). Submission to the Review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Australia: The University of Queensland & Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department. doi: 10.14264/501b50f
Featured
2020
Other Outputs
Achieving Trustworthy AI: A Model for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence
Gillespie, Nicole, Curtis, Caitlin, Bianchi, Rossana, Akbari, Ali and Fentener van Vlissingen, Rita (2020). Achieving Trustworthy AI: A Model for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. Australia: The University of Queensland and KPMG. doi: 10.14264/ca0819d
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Caitlin Curtis is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
A First Nations Cancer Cohort Study
Associate Advisor
Completed supervision
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Privacy-preserving Sharing for Genome-wide Analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ryan Ko, Professor Xue Li
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Invasion History and Evolution of the Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) and the Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) in the Indo-Pacific
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr James Hereward, Professor Nigel Beebe
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Caitlin Curtis directly for media enquiries about:
- AI ethics
- AI governance and policy
- Ancestry DNA testing
- Artificial intelligence
- Consumer genetic testing
- Genetic privacy
- Genomics
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