Student stories: Amanda Maria Horzyk

My name is Amanda Hojak. I am currently pursuing a PhD in designing responsible natural language processing. I focus on AI governance and algorithm transparency from the law perspective. I started this PhD programme after I finished my master's in law at the Old College in Law School here at Edinburgh in Innovation Technology and the Law. 

And I was awarded the scholarship from White and Case Career Development scholarship, and it's enabled me to go to Japan for an AI conference where I pioneered a AI and regulation section and an AI Law and regulations special session. 

This scholarship enabled me to pursue a  dream of building bridges between computer scientists developing AI and lawyers and technology law academics. It helped me build a team of AI  law and regulation pioneers group, which  currently I'm leading during my PhD. 

So thanks to the scholarship and thanks going to Japan, I quickly realised how this suit of activities is exactly what I wanted to do in the future, that I wanted to focus on research and pursue an academic path, which is why I'm doing  a PhD at the moment and working in an interdisciplinary project where  I combine both the legal perspectives and the technical perspectives. It really enabled me to go to Japan as the airfare costs were too high for me to cover. It was an incredible experience to be able to go to Japan in person, meet these researchers, build these connections, which really impact what my research projects are at the moment. 

I think it is pivotal and seminal for students to be empowered, to be able to go to these conferences and places. We sometimes don't realise how valuable it is to immerse yourself in the research environment, which can really inspire a young person to pursue what they really dream about. 

I would say a big  heartfelt thank you and thank you for making my dreams come true to actually start something that I have been thinking of and planning for years.