RESEARCH

Credible ideas. Global insight. Actionable AI governance.

This page showcases selected research outputs, case studies, and publications that reflect What If AI’s mission: to explore emerging challenges in AI governance through critical, cross-border, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Our work contributes to both public conversations and policy-level thinking, with an emphasis on impact, accessibility, and global equity.

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Faces and Places

  • Title: Faces and Places: Navigating the Cross-Border Legal Challenges of AI Facial Recognition Technologies

    Published in: AI and Ethics (Springer Nature, 2025)

    Author: Maryama Elmi, Founder, What If AI

  • This peer-reviewed article examines how facial recognition technologies reveal the deep disconnect between surveillance capabilities and the legal frameworks meant to govern them. The paper focuses on three global tensions:

    • Cross-border data flows without shared accountability

    • Algorithmic bias in international deployments

    • Legal fragmentation that hinders enforcement and redress

    The publication marks a milestone for What If AI as its first academic research contribution and reflects the platform’s commitment to responsible, globally relevant AI governance.

  • 🔗 [Read the full article]

What’s Next?

What If AI is currently developing additional research outputs, including:

  • A multi-stakeholder AI governance toolkit for universities and innovation labs

  • A case study series on emerging trends in IP and AI commercialization

  • Insights from participatory policy engagements and international forums

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.