About
I am Professor of Computer Science, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sustainability Research at the University of Liverpool. I have been conducting foundational and interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence for over 20 years, with my key areas of research being in the fields of computational models of argument and AI & Law. As Professor of Computer Science, I have published over one hundred and fifty articles in peer-reviewed conference proceedings and journals, and have also applied my work in a variety of industrial projects. My current research is focussed on explainable AI and interdisciplinary applications of this. I develop explainable AI for modelling legal reasoning and also work on projects to bring symbolic AI to the task of digitally-supported materials discovery. I am a member of the leadership team for the UKRI-funded AIchemy hub, supporting adoption of AI for chemistry across the UK. In 2016-2017 I served as President of the International Association for AI and Law, and since 2020 I have served as a member of the Lawtech UK Panel, a government-backed initiative to help transform the UK legal sector through technology. I served on the Computer Science and Informatics sub-panel in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. In 2024 I was appointed to the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). I also hold the roles of Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Artificial Intelligence and Law journal and President of The Foundation for Legal Knowledge-Based Systems (JURIX). Internally, I have previously served as Head of Department of Computer Science and Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Liverpool. My current role is focussed on leading the University's newly-established Interdisciplinary Centre for Sustainability Research. The Centre is aimed at bringing together and supporting researchers with different types of knowledge, experience and skills from across disciplines, as well as engaging and collaborating with national and international experts, to drive forward impactful research contributing to outcomes for the UN's sustainable development goals.