Press Kit

High resolution headshot available for download here.

High resolution headshot available for download here.

Ian Kerr holds the Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law & Technology at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, with cross appointments to the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Philosophy and School of Information Studies. He has published books and articles on topics at the intersection of ethics, law and technology and is currently engaged in research on two broad themes: (i) Privacy and Surveillance; and (ii) Human-Machine Mergers. Building on his prior Oxford University Press book, Lessons from the Identity Trail, his ongoing privacy work focuses on the interplay between emerging public and private sector surveillance technologies, civil liberties and human rights. His more recent work, including his new book, Robot Law (with Ryan Calo and Michael Froomkin), focuses on legal and ethical implications of AI, robotics and implantable devices.

Dr. Kerr’s research has attracted eight million dollars in support from the Canada’s Tri-Council, including recent funding for his work on AI, robotics, artificial organs and medical enhancement devices. He is the co-director of the Canada Research Chair Laboratory in Law and Technology, a facility supporting the work of 40 researchers. His devotion to teaching has earned him seven awards and citations, including the Bank of Nova Scotia Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Award of Teaching Excellence, and the University of Ottawa AEECLSS, Teaching Excellence Award. His courses—Building Better Humans? and The Laws of Robotics—have garnered international attention, with regular invitations to lecture and teach at prestigious institutions across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Dr. Kerr is co-author of Managing the Law: The Legal Aspects of Doing Business, a business law text published by Pearson Education and used by thousands of students each year at universities across Canada.