Technology and Policy Researcher

Advancing Research for a Just and Inclusive Future

Hi, I am Abhishek Mali

I am a passionate technology and policy researcher with a solid academic background in engineering and public policy, and nearly a decade of experience in teaching, interdisciplinary research, and policy advocacy.
Currently, I am pursuing my PhD at the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay, where my research lies at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy. My work focuses on the policy implications for AI governance and regulations, with a specific project examining the socio-economic and political impact of AI and automation on the Indian white-collar workforce.
My broad research areas of interests include: AI and Public Policy, AI in Workplace and Labour, Future of Work, Frontier Models and Systemic Risks, Safety and Alignment, AI in Next-Generation Warfare, Governance Regulations and Compliance, and Science Technology and Society.

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Email

mail@abhishekmali.com

Time Zone

IST – Indian Standard Time (UTC +5:30)

Education

PhD

2021 – Present

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Master of Technology

2016 – 2018

Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune

Bachelor of Engineering

2010-2014

Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Experience

PhD Scholar

Jan 2021 – Present

I have experience working as a Teaching Assistant, supporting postgraduate courses. My academic projects include a historical analysis of digital hate speech laws in India, semi-structured interviews with white-collar workers to study the impact of AI in the workplace, a case study on Amazon Mechanical Turks and platform-based digital labour, and AI FATE (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, Ethics) case studies across sectors.

Freelance Writer, Analyst and Commentator

2016 – Present

Apart from social media, I contribute opinion pieces to national and regional newspapers and periodicals such as The Indian Express, Loksatta (Indian Express Group), and Divya Marathi (Dainik Bhaskar Group). I also write for web portals like The Wire: Marathi, engaging with themes related to technology and public policy.

Policy Research Intern

May 2022- June 2022

I worked as a Policy Research Intern at SFLC.in — Software Freedom Law Centre is a donor-supported legal services organization working to protect digital rights by bringing together lawyers, policy experts, technologists, and students. During my internship, I worked on reviewing the collective rights framework for data governance, drafting a proposal for the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) 2022, and mapping the AI policy landscape in India, with a comparative focus on the EU’s human-centric approach.

Lecturer

February 2015 -Jan 2016

In my final year of college, while completing my undergraduate degree, I began tutoring. Afterwards, I spent about a year lecturing in Mechanical Engineering at engineering and polytechnic colleges. The subjects I taught included Power Engineering, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Metrology and Quality Control, Fluid and Turbo Machinery, and Control Engineering.

Industrial Trainee

June 2013

I worked as an industrial trainee in the molding and quality control departments of a foundry. This facility specialized in casting Grey Cast Iron, S.G. Iron, Hi-Si-Mo, and Aluminum, utilizing a wide range of processes. These included Shell Molding, High-Pressure Molding, Jolt Squeeze Green Sand, Aluminum Gravity Die Casting, and Centrifugal Casting, alongside powder coating and precision machining. During this traineeship, I learned about key operational concepts such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Six Sigma, and Kaizen.

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