Imogen Rivers is a DPhil Scholar at the Institute for Ethics in AI and a Bedingfield Scholar at Gray's Inn.
During the BPhil in Philosophy (Distinction, 2021-2023, St Cross College), which she completed under the auspices of the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme, she specialised in AI ethics and legal philosophy (Supervisor: John Tasioulas). Prior to that, she completed the Master of Physics and Philosophy degree (First Class, 2017-2021, Balliol College) with a thesis on causation and responsibility in collective wrongdoing cases (Supervisor: Alex Kaiserman).
Her research on AI ethics in the law focuses on legal personhood for autonomous systems, including questions of responsibility (e.g., how should we allocate legal responsibility for harms caused by autonomous weapons?) and rights (e.g., should certain autonomous robots have legal rights?). During the DPhil in Philosophy (2023-2026, St John’s College), she completed the Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction, Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, 2023-2025, Oxford Brookes) and is simultaneously completing the Bar Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. She will commence pupillage in criminal and public law at Three Raymond Buildings in October 2026.