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Anne Washington’s story begins, fittingly, in Washington, D.C. Surrounded by policy debates and the pulse of politics, she was drawn to the questions that now shape her career in data policy.
Today, Washington is the Rothermere/Harmsworth Duke Associate Professor of Technology Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy. She is a computer scientist trained in organizational ethnography who applies her expertise in digital innovation to issues of data governance. Her work explores how digital technologies intersect with governance and society, uniting technical expertise with qualitative research to better understand the role of data in public life.
Her scholarship considers how institutions adopt emerging technologies and how standards, rules, and regulations shape computational systems. She has been principal investigator on more than $1 million in grants, including the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award. She has testified before Congress on artificial intelligence in financial systems, advised federal regulators on digital assets, and chaired the international AIES Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society.
Washington is also a public voice for ethical data science. Her book, Ethical Data Science: Prediction in the Public Interest (Oxford University Press, 2023), examines how society can harness innovation while protecting fairness and accountability.
Arriving at Duke in 2025, Washington has been honored with the Langford Lectureship Award, one of Duke University’s highest faculty honors. This distinguished lecture series recognizes faculty who embody the university’s values of scholarship, teaching, collegiality, and service. Recipients are chosen for the interdisciplinary appeal of their research and their commitment to teaching and service. As part of the honor, each awardee presents a lunchtime lecture open to Duke faculty. Washington was one of only four scholars across the university to receive the recognition this year.
At Sanford, she looks forward to helping students and colleagues think critically about technology’s role in shaping modern governance.
Where did you grow up, and what influenced your journey into teaching and research?
I grew up in Washington DC where public policy is in the air. The fast pace of the political news cycle, with all its plot twists, had me hooked. The local newspaper ran profiles of colorful minor characters that helped me see how one determined person could make a big difference in public policy. I wanted to learn how it all worked and was lucky to spend many years at the Congressional Research Service. It was never a dull moment.
What excites you most about working at Sanford?
I'm most excited about Sanford's commitment to technology policy. Public policy considers how we distribute resources and technology is a powerful mechanism of distribution. It's time to acknowledge that the digital environment isn't going anywhere, in fact it is only intensifying. Governance has to keep up with the new pace, additional sources of power, and unexpected forms of control. I'm looking forward to thinking with colleagues and students about how to meet this moment.
Effective tech policy recognizes the interplay between computing and society. Scholars like me who study public interest technology seek to balance the scales.
Anne Washington, Rothermere/Harmsworth Duke Associate Professor of Technology Policy
What does joining Sanford mean for your career?
This is the perfect place for me at this stage of my career. I'm thrilled to be with people concerned with governance. I see a lot of potential for intellectual growth.
Tell us about your expertise. What legacy do you hope your research leaves?
I am a computer scientist so I believe in innovation, however my academic training reminds me that technology alone is never the solution. Standards, rules, organizations, corporate policy, and regulations shape computational systems. There is humanity in technology.
Effective tech policy recognizes the interplay between computing and society. Scholars like me who study public interest technology seek to balance the scales.
Since I focus on the governance of emerging digital technology, a legacy is hard to imagine. Everything is on the horizon! What I can do today is build strong intellectual foundations for what comes next. We need everyone to do their best thinking to propel us towards digital-first policy.
What inspired you to pursue this line of research? Was there a catalyst for your work?
At first I thought the algorithmic accountability movement was a distraction, but after observing utterly divergent experiences, I knew this issue could stall widespread adoption. This was brought home to me in conversation at a privacy event. My peers all had positive if not seamless experiences that I did not. I realized I had something unique to contribute to uncovering when and how these tools malfunction, for whom, and why.
What do you want the Sanford community to know about you outside of your work?
I am a classically trained musician who plays piano. I do not sing, but I do sing along. I know the words to way way too many Broadway shows.