Becki Cook - An Indigenous Perspective on AI: Data Governance for Empowering Health and Wellbeing

Seminar Overview

This Seminar Series presents an Indigenous perspective on artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on the role of Indigenous data, Indigenous data sovereignty (IDSov), and Indigenous data governance (IDGov) in shaping ethical, community-centered AI practices. 

Becki Cook will discuss how Indigenous communities can guide decisions about their data, the principles that support ethical use, and the frameworks that uphold community rights and values. 

The session will also explore how Indigenous approaches to data intersect with health, wellbeing, and community empowerment, highlighting the consequences of excluding Indigenous data from AI systems and the importance of culturally informed governance in guiding AI development.

Speaker

Becki Cook is a proud Nunukul Aboriginal woman, educator, and researcher currently undertaking a PhD at the QUT Centre for Data Science. Her research explores Indigenous data literacy through Indigenous Research Methodologies, with a focus on elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and priorities in the field of data science.

Alongside her doctoral studies, Becki works as a Research Assistant in Indigenous Data Science and serves as the Early Career Researcher Co-Leader for the Data Science and AI in Society theme within the Centre for Data Science. Becki’s academic and professional journey is shaped by a strong commitment to equity in education and a passion for culturally grounded research.

Prior to commencing her PhD full-time, she was the Centre Manager at the QUT Centre for Data Science (2021–2024), where she supported interdisciplinary collaboration and research impact across diverse domains.

With over 15 years of experience in the education sector, Becki has worked across secondary and tertiary settings as a science and mathematics teacher and student success coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Griffith University, 2007), a Graduate Diploma in Education – Secondary (QUT, 2012), and a Master of Education and Professional Studies Research (Griffith University, 2021).

Her Master’s thesis, First Peoples Perspectives on Engagement at University: What keeps students coming back to Indigenous Education Units?, explored the role of Indigenous student support units in enhancing student experiences and outcomes beyond conventional models of support.