Kathleen Richardson

Kathleen Richardson is Professor of Ethics & Culture of Robots and AI at De Montfort University, a leading voice on how robotics and AI shape human relationships, autonomy, and dignity. Her work bridges technical systems and their social consequences for policymakers, industry, and the public.  She founded the Campaign Against Sex Robots, a globally discussed initiative that reframed debates on the commodification of intimacy and the ethics of human–machine interaction. Richardson is the author of An Anthropology of Robots and AI: Annihilation Anxiety and Machines and co-editor of Man-Made Woman: The Sexual Politics of Sex Dolls and Sex Robots.  Richardson earned her PhD in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, conducted fieldwork in MIT robotics labs, and held a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCL; she has also contributed to Europe-wide projects on therapeutic robotics (DREAM). This blend of elite research credentials and public-interest advocacy makes her a uniquely credible guide for founders, investors, researchers, and policymakers working to align AI with human values.