Policy, Governance and Global Regulation

Part of the AI People directory: a structured reference to the individuals shaping artificial intelligence across research, industry, governance, ethics and public discourse.

Margrethe Vestager, competition and digital regulation, European Union. As EU Competition Commissioner, pursued major tech antitrust cases and shaped the AI Act. Her approach, treating digital platforms and AI as requiring serious governance, has influenced global policy. Key works: the EU AI Act; tech antitrust enforcement.

Lina Khan, antitrust and market concentration, United States. FTC Chair whose work on platform power and antitrust affects AI market concentration. Her Amazon's Antitrust Paradox reshaped competition-policy thinking, and her FTC scrutinises AI deals and practices. Key works: Amazon's Antitrust Paradox; FTC enforcement.

Marietje Schaake, tech governance and democracy, Netherlands. Former MEP and Stanford fellow whose The Tech Coup argues that tech companies have accrued governmental power without accountability, and who advocates for democratic control over AI and platform decisions. Key works: The Tech Coup (2024); digital-rights advocacy.

Amandeep Singh Gill, global AI coordination, United Nations. UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, coordinating international AI governance efforts and building global consensus to govern AI beyond national boundaries. Key works: UN AI governance initiatives.

Brad Smith, corporate AI governance, United States. Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer who advocates for AI regulation while navigating Microsoft's AI investments, presenting industry perspectives on governance through his books and testimony. Key works: Microsoft AI governance; regulatory testimony.

Audrey Tang, digital democracy and governance innovation, Taiwan. Taiwan's first Digital Minister, who pioneered participatory governance approaches for technology policy, demonstrating alternative models for democratic engagement with AI and digital systems. Key works: digital-democracy initiatives; participatory governance.

Kai-Fu Lee, US-China AI and investment, China and Taiwan. Former Google China head and investor who wrote AI Superpowers, framing AI development as US-China competition, and whose perspective on Chinese AI capabilities shapes Western understanding of the field. Key works: AI Superpowers (2018); Sinovation Ventures.

Toby Walsh, governance advocacy and lethal autonomy, Australia. AI researcher who campaigns against lethal autonomous weapons through the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, and whose accessible writing on AI governance reaches broad audiences. Key works: lethal-autonomous-weapons campaigning; AI governance writing.