Full Name
Sam Gregory
Job Title
Executive Director
Company
WITNESS
Speaker Bio
Sam Gregory is an internationally recognized, award-winning human rights advocate and technologist and expert on smartphone witnessing, deepfakes, media authenticity and generative AI. As Executive Director of the global human rights organization WITNESS, he has twenty years of experience at the forefront of practices, impact and innovations in video, technology, human rights, civic participation and media. He leads the organization’s five-year strategic plan to “Fortify the Truth” and champions our global team of activists and partners who support millions of people using video and technology globally to defend and protect human rights.
Sam initiated the first globally focused effort to 'Prepare, Don't Panic' (witnessgenai.global) around deepfakes and generative AI images/video and is widely known and consulted as an advocate, researcher and speaker on deepfakes, generative AI's promise and perils, innovation in how to understand media authenticity and provenance, and emerging forms of mis/disinformation.
Sam specializes in foresight and strategic innovation with a track record in anticipating and proactively responding to pivotal shifts in use of cellphones and social media, citizen journalism, live-streaming, and AI. Sam has written for WIRED and the Hill, and been interviewed by the BBC, New York Times, MIT Tech Review, the Economist and many other media. He co-chaired the Partnership on AI's Expert group on AI and the Media. A frequent keynote speaker, he has spoken at the White House and Davos.
An experienced trainer and facilitator, he has led many workshops globally, and lead edited 'Video for Change: A Guide for Advocacy and Activism'. Sam taught the first class at Harvard on human rights advocacy via participatory media from 2010-18. Additionally, he publishes widely in human rights, journalism and media journals.
As an organizational leader he has overall responsibility for a team of 50 and over $6million budget. He has successfully led WITNESS through a series of strategic shifts and major growth in staff and budget.
Sam has directly managed innovation-driven projects that pioneered approaches: the YouTube Human Rights Channel, WITNESS Media Lab, the award-winning ObscuraCam and ProofMode projects with the Guardian Project, and which have led to impactful advocacy to major tech companies.
As an impact video producer, his 20+ human rights productions have been screened at the UN, US Congress, UK Parliament, and have secured advocacy impact in multiple countries and policy/advocacy contexts.
Among other fellowships/affiliations are Rockefeller Bellagio Resident, IFTF Future for Good Fellow, and Young Global Leader of WEF.
Sam initiated the first globally focused effort to 'Prepare, Don't Panic' (witnessgenai.global) around deepfakes and generative AI images/video and is widely known and consulted as an advocate, researcher and speaker on deepfakes, generative AI's promise and perils, innovation in how to understand media authenticity and provenance, and emerging forms of mis/disinformation.
Sam specializes in foresight and strategic innovation with a track record in anticipating and proactively responding to pivotal shifts in use of cellphones and social media, citizen journalism, live-streaming, and AI. Sam has written for WIRED and the Hill, and been interviewed by the BBC, New York Times, MIT Tech Review, the Economist and many other media. He co-chaired the Partnership on AI's Expert group on AI and the Media. A frequent keynote speaker, he has spoken at the White House and Davos.
An experienced trainer and facilitator, he has led many workshops globally, and lead edited 'Video for Change: A Guide for Advocacy and Activism'. Sam taught the first class at Harvard on human rights advocacy via participatory media from 2010-18. Additionally, he publishes widely in human rights, journalism and media journals.
As an organizational leader he has overall responsibility for a team of 50 and over $6million budget. He has successfully led WITNESS through a series of strategic shifts and major growth in staff and budget.
Sam has directly managed innovation-driven projects that pioneered approaches: the YouTube Human Rights Channel, WITNESS Media Lab, the award-winning ObscuraCam and ProofMode projects with the Guardian Project, and which have led to impactful advocacy to major tech companies.
As an impact video producer, his 20+ human rights productions have been screened at the UN, US Congress, UK Parliament, and have secured advocacy impact in multiple countries and policy/advocacy contexts.
Among other fellowships/affiliations are Rockefeller Bellagio Resident, IFTF Future for Good Fellow, and Young Global Leader of WEF.
Speaking At
X (formerly Twitter) Handle
@samgregory
