Exeter researcher receives Freedom of the City of London
Professor Zena Wood (left) receives Freedom of the City of London. Also pictured: Alderman Emma Edhem and Professor Brad Boyd
An Exeter academic said she was ‘honoured’ after receiving the Freedom of the City of London.
Professor Zena Wood from the University of Exeter Business School was nominated for her Future of Decision-Making research project, which examines how emerging technologies, particularly AI and decision-support systems, are reshaping human decision-making in critical domains such as national security, defence and crisis management.
Instead of focusing solely on technological capability, the project centres on the human dimension: how judgement, responsibility, and accountability evolve as machines increasingly inform, shape, or constrain human choices.
Part of the project involves a series of roundtables, that were hosted in the City of London, bringing together representatives from industry, academia and government.
Professor Wood and her co-founder Professor Brad Boyd from Stanford University received the Freedom of the City earlier this summer at a ceremony in the Guildhall presided over by Alderman of the City of London Emma Edhem.
“It was an honour to become a Citizen of London and attend the historic ceremony, said Professor Wood, an Associate Professor in Digital Economy and Director of the Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC),
“The project means a great deal to us and we look forward to continuing to work with partners in the City of London and wider industry partners going forward.”
Alderman of the City of London Emma Edhem congratulated Professor Wood, saying that her name ‘will now become part of the City of London’s permanent historical record.’
She added: “Professor Zena Wood’s pioneering work in defence, data science and AI, including founding the Defence Data Research Centre at the University of Exeter, has helped shape critical thinking around the responsible application of emerging technologies.
“Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Bradley, Zena and a wider group of exceptional colleagues as we develop the Future of Decision-Making programme in collaboration with Stanford and Exeter Universities. The work brings together expertise from defence, academia, government and industry to explore how AI can strengthen without not replacing human judgement in an increasingly progressive world.
“Their Freedom of the City recognises distinguished careers built on service, scholarship, sound judgement and above all, leadership.”
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