Rebecca L. Johnson
PhD in AI Ethics
MA (Research), B.Sc., B.A.
The University of Sydney, Australia.
I examine how generative AI systems reflect, enact, and contest human values through the very processes we use to evaluate them. Bridging philosophy, measurement theory, and the ethics of technology, my work develops pluralist, descriptive frameworks to trace whose values are encoded, how they shift across contexts, and how evaluation itself becomes a site of governance. I also apply these ideas in practice: teaching and training interdisciplinary teams, advising on evaluation design, and supporting organisations to strengthen ethical governance and responsible use of AI.
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Media and Professional Bio
Rebecca (Bec) Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Communications, and a Master’s by Research. She spent a year at Google Research in the Ethical AI team and was listed among 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics by Lighthouse3 in 2020. That same year, she founded the global network, PhD Students in AI Ethics. She is a lead guest Editor on Springer Journal, AI and Ethics. Bec has received scholarships from Stanford and MIT to attend leading AI ethics events. In 2023, she convened ChatLLM23, which was Australia’s largest conference on the ethics of generative AI at the time, followed by ChatRegs23, a think-tank on the Australian Government’s proposed AI policies. She has taught Master’s and Undergraduate courses across the faculties of Science, Arts, and Business at the University of Sydney since 2016. Links to her talks and media appearances can be found under Media on her site EthicsGenAI.com.
Research Focus
Bec has been researching generative AI since 2019 and technology ethics since 2015. Her work examines how human values are embedded, reflected, and co-constructed within generative systems, using frameworks from measurement theory, moral philosophy, cybernetics, and participatory realism. Situated at the intersection of philosophy, social science, and applied AI ethics, her research bridges theory and practice, developing evaluation methods that strengthen governance, transparency, and cross-cultural accountability. These methods provide practical tools for organisations, industry, and policymakers, showing how better measurement leads to better decision-making, risk management, and ethical deployment of generative AI.
Pull quotes from my PhD thesis
“What we measure, we amplify.”
“Meaning in generative AI is not retrieved—it is enacted.”
“Pluralist evaluation is not an optional add-on but the minimum condition for deploying generative AI responsibly in a value-diverse world.”
“Models don’t merely describe reality; they participate in shaping it.”
“Ethics in generative AI must move from universal prescriptions to negotiated descriptions.”
Research interests
Bec’s research spans philosophy, social science, and applied AI ethics. She combines theoretical inquiry with methodological design to create evaluation practices that are both conceptually rigorous and practically useful.
- Philosophy of Generative AI — understanding how language models shape and reflect human values, knowledge, and culture.
- Measurement Theory and Evaluation Design — building transparent, reproducible metrics that improve accountability and auditability in AI systems.
- Moral Value Pluralism — developing frameworks that recognise cultural diversity and prevent one-size-fits-all definitions of “alignment.”
- Participatory Realism and Quantum Foundations — applying ideas from quantum measurement to explain how meaning and behaviour emerge through interaction.
- Cybernetics and n-Loop Learning — using feedback models to improve continuous governance, red-teaming, and fine-tuning processes.
- Sociotechnical Systems and Complex Networks — mapping how institutions, regulations, and models co-evolve in real-world contexts.
- Responsible and Reflexive AI Governance — designing evaluation practices that make ethical risks visible and guide safer, more inclusive deployment.
Scholarships & Awards
Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship (3.5 years): A primary scholarship that provides a stipend for the duration of the PhD program. “This is a Commonwealth Government scholarship awarded to assist students of exceptional research potential with their studies.” Letter of offer from The University of Sydney.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Scholarship 2019: to attend EmTech and EmTech Next at the MIT Media Lab.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Scholarship 2020:to attend EmTech and EmTech Next. The conference was held virtually due to the pandemic; nevertheless, the insights from many business technology leaders were very enlightening.
Postgraduate Research Prize for Leadership 2022: Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney. Awarded to HDR students who take on additional responsibilities through leadership roles.
Stanford University Scholarship 2023: I received a generous scholarship from The Embedded Ethics Centre and the Human-AI Center (HAI) to attend the Embedded Ethics conference.
Paulette Isabel Jones Career Award 2025: Awarded to HDR students to support research and thesis examination.
Teaching
I have worked as a Unit Co-ordinator, Lecturer, and Tutor since 2016. I have taught and coordinated subjects at Master’s, Honours, and Undergraduate levels. Subjects include: Ethics in Science, Emerging Technology, Introduction to Philosophy of Science, Organisational Communications, Leadership in Business, and Media and Communications. I have written and developed entire unit outlines as well as numerous lesson plans and assessments. I have also taught new tutors how to teach both in person and on-line. I hold two certifications for higher education teaching courses. Feedback reports from my students consistently place my teaching at 4.6-4.9 out of 5.
Previous education
Master of Arts by Research, The University of Sydney, 2016-2018
Thesis: Direct Voice: Including the student voice in academic governance in a large, research-intensive university. The work used cybernetic theory to design and test new communication and organisational learning structures between research students and university governance. The project was supported by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education and the Director of Graduate Research. Awarded without corrections and high distinctions from both examiners.
- “[T]his thesis makes an important contribution to the field of higher education studies and is a result of excellent research.” Examiner, Harvard University.
- “The thesis is well-written, and the arguments made in a nuanced way come to a variety of interesting conclusions.” Examiner, The University of South Australia.
Professional Development in Higher Education teaching
- Professional teaching development training in the Business School, a five-week program, 2018.
- Six-week Professional Teaching Development Program run by the Faculty of Arts, 2016.
- Two-day intensive run by the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Education portfolio, 2016.
Bachelor of Arts (Communications) The University of Calgary, 2014-2015
Graduated ‘With Distinction’ and a place on the Dean’s list. G.P.A. of 3.8 (out of 4). I completed two capstone theses during this degree; one looked at building a conceptual framework of complex systems theory combined with constitutive communication theory, and one explored the sociological impacts of how our online actions construct ‘digital terraforming’.
Bachelor of Science (Earth Science) Deakin University, 1997 – 2001
My primary areas of interest were planetary geology and science communications. Invited to the Golden Key Society for Academic Excellence. Distinction average. Spent three summers volunteering with Monash University’s paleontological dig site in Inverloch. Commenced an Honours degree at Melbourne University, working on geomorphological flow processes on Mars under a CO2 model; work conducted in collaboration with NASA.
University Engagement
HDR Connect – May 2019
I conceived, developed, and executed the largest higher degree by research (HDR) student-led event of this kind that the University of Sydney had seen in memorable history. By bringing 400 HDR students together with 100 industry partners, I created a network across all faculties and with representatives from many industry sectors. After securing a total budget of AUD$38,000 (~USD$25,000) from the Deputy Vice Chancellor and other funding sources, I brought together a team of 40 research students to create this event. I also connected with many external stakeholders from a variety of industries, including national government science bodies, state government departments, international consulting firms, and many other industry partners. The executive leadership, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education, the Director of Graduate Research, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, and the Academic Board, strongly supported this initiative. I received a personal letter of thanks from the Vice-Chancellor of the University on completion of the project and warm praise from many Senior Executive leaders. Two of the industry participants subsequently offered new scholarships to the University as a result of this event. Photographs of the day.
HDR Liaison Committee
After my Master’s by Research and many years as a student Councillor and advocate, I observed that the diversity of graduate researcher voices was not always adequately represented in governance due to a reliance on traditional majority vote structures. I decided to act on this problem and used the knowledge I developed in my previous work to build a novel format of student engagement. After months of planning and discussion with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education and the Director of Graduate Research, I founded the HDR Liaison Committee with 40 research students. This body forms a conduit for a two-way dialogue between the graduate researcher cohort and the senior executives charged with developing policy and strategy for the HDR environment and experience. The largest social event I organised during my time as Chair of this body was a BBQ attended by +100 PhD students; here are the photos.
Elected Student Representative
- I served as an active Student Councillor for the University of Sydney’s postgraduate student representative association for five terms.
- The University Executive – Research and Education committee (five years).
- The Academic Board (three years).
- The University Executive – Research Committee (one year).
- The Academic Qualities Committee (two years).
- Supervisory Policy Review Working Party Committee.
- Sydney Operating Model reference group, student representative
- Learning Analytics Advisory Board.
- HDR+ grant review panel.
- Research student representative to the Faculty Board for Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) 2017
