This project investigates AI adoption and governance, focusing on labour market reform, AI ethics, and global innovation. It explores economic and social impacts, responsible deployment, and cross-border collaboration. Emphasising business-influenced policy for innovation-led growth, the project aims to support skills development, infrastructure, and international cooperation in AI.
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is transforming economies, labour markets, and societies globally, raising urgent questions about social equity, ethical use, and economic disparities. This research explores AI governance from both the boardroom and policy angles, collecting data from business leaders and policymakers to understand their perspectives on fair labour market reform, responsible deployment, and inclusive innovation for sustainable growth. By examining the interplay between AI technologies, corporate strategies, and regulatory frameworks, the project tackles challenges like social inequities and economic divides. It aims to inform balanced policies that promote ethical AI, sustainable economic growth, and equitable access to technology, ensuring AI benefits society while minimising risks.
This project stands out by combining insights from both business leaders and policymakers to explore AI adoption and governance. Unlike research focused only on technology or regulation, it uniquely integrates boardroom perspectives with policy analysis, providing a comprehensive understanding of AI’s impact on labour market reform, ethics, and global innovation. This dual approach addresses gaps in knowledge about aligning corporate strategies with public policy, offering new insights into responsible AI deployment. By bridging these areas, the project contributes to advancing balanced governance frameworks that support sustainable economic growth and social equity.
This research project explores AI adoption and governance with a focus on data economy, labour market reform, and ethical considerations for ethical global innovation. AI is transforming how businesses operate and economies grow, but these changes bring challenges related to social equity, responsible deployment, and the alignment of business and public policy. This project uniquely collects data from both business leaders and policymakers to provide a comprehensive view often missing in existing studies.
The study investigates how AI reshapes labour markets, examining shifts in skills demand, employment patterns, and necessary policy interventions to ensure inclusive reform. It also explores ethical challenges in AI, such as bias, transparency, and accountability, aiming to promote responsible innovation. A global perspective is taken by analysing cross-border collaboration and international regulatory dynamics that shape AI innovation.
Additionally, the project assesses AI’s contribution to economic growth and productivity, identifying barriers and opportunities for businesses leveraging AI. The data economy’s role is also examined, focusing on data access, governance, privacy, and security- critical factors for responsible AI deployment. By integrating these topics, the project captures the broader AI ecosystem, encompassing technological, economic, social, and policy dimensions.
Methodologically, this research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data such as surveys with qualitative data such as interviews, focus groups and etc. Quantitative data gathered through structured questionnaires will reveal key trends and challenges from business and policy perspectives. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus groups, will provide richer insights into the ethical and regulatory complexities of AI adoption. Comparative analysis across sectors and countries will identify best practices and governance gaps.
This project’s significance lies in its holistic approach, bridging boardroom strategy with policymaking. By addressing economic growth and the data economy alongside labour and ethics, it offers a nuanced understanding of AI’s societal impact. The findings aim to inform balanced policies that promote sustainable economic growth, social equity, ethical AI use, and responsible data governance. Ultimately, the research will produce actionable recommendations to support innovation and inclusive development in the AI age.
Dr Asieh Tabaghdehi - Dr Asieh Tabaghdehi is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Business Economy, Head of Innovation, AI and Technology Management Research Group, Programme Lead for BSc International Business, and Lead at Brunel's Centre for AI: Social and Digital Innovation at Brunel University of London. She is also an economist and social impact advisor for the independent NGO, Social Innovation Movement, and the Founder and Chair of the Responsible AI and Digital Innovation in SMEs Community of Interest at ISBE.
Asieh is a well-recognised academic in digital transformation, focusing on the strategic integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to advance sustainable business practices, and address critical social and economic challenges. From 2021 to 2022, Asieh co-investigated the Digital Footprint Project, funded by the UK Research Institute (UKRI), that explored the ethical implications of digital footprint data on value creation for SMEs. One of the project outputs was the Digital Business Auditing Framework, which has been adopted internationally for smart city initiatives.
Asieh has attained an international reputation in the field of ethical integration and deployment of AI, particularly in the contexts of smart data governance. Her research integrates industry collaboration, public engagement, and policy dialogue with an emphasis on the social and economic dimensions of responsible smart city development and innovative healthcare systems. Asieh’s contributions have been widely cited in academic, practitioner, and policy outputs, and her research has informed national and international governments and businesses. Her research on connected technology has been presented various time as both oral and written evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee at the request of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and has been featured in national and international press. She is widely published in academic peer-reviewed journals, the press, is a frequent speaker at academic and industry conferences, and has responded to a number of policy inquiries at national and international level. She is also the author of the book Business Strategies and Ethical Challenges in the Digital Ecosystem, which addresses multiple facets of the AI ecosystem, including data ethics, governance, and innovation. In collaboration with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Asieh co-designed the "Digital Adoption" module for the UK Government’s Help to Grow Management program, aimed at enhancing the digital capabilities of SMEs.
Asieh is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, a member of the ESRC Review College, the British Academy of Management Review College, and the Energy Institute UK. She also serves as an associate practitioner at Social Value International, an associate member of the Big Innovation Centre, and All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)- Artificial Intelligence. She is also a member of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence: Social and Digital Innovation at Brunel University of London. Currently, Asieh serves as the Impact Lead at the Brunel Centre for AI, where she leads the capability area in the Future of Work.
Asieh earned her PhD in Economics and Finance (2008) and MSc in International Money, Finance, and Investment (2015), both from Brunel University London. She joined Brunel in 2020 after holding academic positions at Regent’s University London, where she also served as Director for the BSc Global Management (Finance Pathway). Prior to her academic career, she gained industry experience as a business analyst, further enriching her interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching.