Leah Davis鈥檚 research into how artificial intelligence systems interact with their social environments sits squarely at the intersection of engineering and the social sciences, blending technical expertise with ethical inquiry. This interdisciplinary focus is at the heart of her work. And it helps explain why the 黑料社 PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering has won a , an award typically reserved for scholars in the social sciences and humanities. Davis, who began her doctoral work in January 2025, said she sees her work as bridging both worlds.
鈥淚 like to joke that we鈥檙e engineers by trade but social scientists at heart,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淲e use technical tools, but our focus is on how systems function in real-world communities. Are they inclusive? Are they being trusted? Who鈥檚 left out of the process?鈥�
Davis works in the , where she has been involved since her undergraduate years. Supervised by AJung Moon, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, her research investigates how AI systems affect 鈥� and are affected by 鈥� social environments. Her approach, rooted in what she calls a sociotechnical perspective, emphasizes the importance of viewing technology and society as deeply interconnected.
Better data, more inclusive design
Traditionally, AI evaluation focused on technical performance. Was the system accurate, reliable and efficient?
鈥淏ut we also need to evaluate how these systems perform socially,鈥� said Davis. 鈥淚nstead of just asking, is it fast and precise, we now have to ask is it fair?鈥�
But concepts like fairness and trust are hard to turn into measurable, operational metrics.
鈥淭his is where qualitative methods from the social sciences come in,鈥� said Davis. 鈥淲e look at the developers鈥� positionality 鈥� why they made certain choices 鈥� and we often use ethnographic approaches to understand how these systems are experienced by different communities. Are we using the right data for the right people? Is anyone being misrepresented or left out? If so, how do we mitigate those risks?鈥�
Be it through ethnographic studies or collaborations with NGOs and advocacy groups, Davis鈥檚 work increasingly involves engaging with communities that are affected by AI. The goal is to create frameworks that help developers reflect on their own biases and improve how systems are built and deployed.
鈥淟ong before AI, we had systems shaped by racism, sexism and other biases. AI just scales them,鈥� said Davis. 鈥淲e need better data, more inclusive design and tools that help practitioners make better choices.鈥�
A leadership that lifts everyone
That focus on public experience, transparency and accountability has guided Davis鈥檚 journey into AI. Originally educated in biomedical engineering, Davis was first exposed to AI through technical applications like image processing. Her curiosity led her to electives in digital culture and society, and eventually to a Master鈥檚 in Social Data Science at the University of Oxford.
鈥淚鈥檝e always asked why things matter,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to just build systems; I wanted to understand their impact.鈥�
Moon called Davis鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach both rare and necessary.
鈥淟eah鈥檚 journey speaks of an individual who knows how to care for her local community while reaching out to experts beyond her immediate community to bring about change,鈥� Moon said. 鈥淭his is the kind of leadership that lifts everyone, not just the individual in the spotlight.鈥�
That leadership now extends across institutions and disciplines. Davis collaborates with colleagues at Mila-Quebec AI Institute and UQAM with specialists in cybersecurity, anthropology and philosophy. Her work also involves engaging with policymakers to ensure that AI regulations reflect real-world needs.
鈥淎 big part of the job is being a bridge,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e translating between engineers, social scientists and the public. That鈥檚 hard, because we don鈥檛 all speak the same language, but it鈥檚 essential.鈥�
Breaking silos
For Davis, the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship provides more than financial support. It鈥檚 a platform for public engagement, interdisciplinary mentorship and leadership development. Scholars receive both academic and industry mentorship, helping bridge the gap between theory and practice.
鈥淭his scholarship helps you break out of silos,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 PhD isn鈥檛 just about writing a thesis; it鈥檚 about having the rare chance to think deeply about a problem and produce something that can inform real-world decisions. That鈥檚 a big responsibility. If people are going to listen and even use your work, it needs to be thoughtful, inclusive and representative.鈥�
Despite coming from an engineering background, Davis felt welcomed into the traditionally social sciences- and humanities-focused community. That diversity, she said, is the point.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to fit in a box,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need engineers in social science spaces and social scientists in tech spaces. Real solutions come from mixing those perspectives.鈥�
This article was originally published in the .