Jessica Russ-Smith

Associate Professor Jessica Russ-Smith is a sovereign Wiradyuri Wambuul woman, from the matriarchal lineage of Smith and McGuiness women. Her research focuses on the embodiment of First Nations sovereignty, AI and research ethics. As Associate Professor of Social Work at Australian Catholic University (ACU) and chair of ACU’s Indigenous Research Ethics Advisory Panel, she leads transformative work in disrupting colonial legacies in higher education and research practices. Jess co-authored the groundbreaking 2024 book “The AI (R)evolution: Valuing Country, Culture and Community in a World of Algorithms”, which challenges dominant narratives about artificial intelligence by centring First Nations perspectives and sovereignty, and builds on her research examining power, structures and First Nations knowledges.