TheBridge profile: Alayna Kennedy
Name: Alayna Kennedy
Current city: Washington, D.C.
Current job: Masters Student at The University of Edinburgh (Masters in in Science & Technology in Society)
Past job: AI Ethics Consultant at IBM; Machine Learning Researcher at Intelligent Information Systems Research Group
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? A little bookstore / coffee shop down the street called The Potter's House
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. In college, I was a teaching assistant for a leadership class, where I had to learn to manage teams and communicate to the people I was leading. I have always appreciated that experience, because the ability to communicate effectively has always been a core skill in any position or project I've been involved in.
Q. Job advice in three words? Just do it.
Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between politics and tech / innovation and regulation? I'm currently working on a few projects that work on translating the academic work on AI ethics into business language. The language of activism and academia needs to be translated into the language of the board room and business users to be valuable.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Policymakers understand the importance of leveraging power - how to enact change through high-level guidelines. Innovators also need to understand where power lies both inside and outside of organizations.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Sometimes you need to move fast and create something imperfect, but better than what you have now. You'll never "solve" the problems of policy, so try to create something anyway!
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? My favorite contemporary novel has long been Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. Fiction is essential to helping us become better, more loving human beings.
Q. Everyday is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? Connecting with other ethical tech workers, writing, thinking, and setting aside time to read!
Q. Is there one piece of advice you are still trying to master? One piece of advice I'm still trying to master is being kind to myself!
Q. What is your favorite app? My favorite app is a productivity app called Forest that lets you grow trees while staying focused.
Q. Embarrassing work moment? A fly flew straight into my mouth during a video call and I had to turn off my camera because I was coughing so much.
Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? I was in Big Sur California in February 2020, an awesome hiking and camping trip with friends.
Q. How do you unwind after work? With books, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons!
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