Simon is a social media researcher, author and digital creator whose work explores the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, misinformation narratives, and strategic communication. With a strong interest in information politics and emerging digital landscapes, Simon has built a career examining how technology shapes public understanding and discourse. He previously led the digital team at the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he oversaw efforts to analyse online misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is the founder of the New Imagination Lab, a research initiative exploring the future co-existence of humans and Artificial Intelligence. Simon also co-founded the IRIS Academic Research Group, a collaborative platform focused on interdisciplinary insights into information systems. His research draws on methodologies such as OSINT, SocMint, and social network analysis, bridging technical and sociopolitical approaches to understanding digital influence.
Simon’s professional background spans academic, commercial and policy-focused roles. He currently works with CT Group, and has previously held positions at BMT and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick.
Kris Szczepaniak is a technology leader and software engineer with over seven years of experience in product innovation and applied AI solutions. At New Imagination Lab, his research concentrates on the societal implications of AI within global healthcare systems, defence and security frameworks.
Kris earned a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London. At Perty Technologies he developed an AI Property Manager assistant recognized as a 2024 Top 10 Digital Solution in Switzerland, competing with 10x larger projects. Previously, at Amazon, he managed product strategy for a portfolio of 30 million items, launched Amazon and Amazon Prime in Poland, and implemented optimization algorithms that saved the company tens of millions of dollars.
Beyond his professional work, Kris pursues interests in machine learning, artisanal bread making, and singing. He has completed Red Bull 400 – the world’s toughest 400m uphill race. Kris serves as Technology Director at Zryw Foundation, supporting civic education and technical initiatives for electoral campaigns.
John is a digital consultant whose work combines qualitative research, quantitative analysis, and strategic communications, primarily for the purposes of political and commercial campaigns. He has provided research, digital marketing strategies, and lobbying services to political parties, NGOs, governments, and the private sector across the US, UK, and Turkey. Additionally, having received training from Bellingcat in 2024, he has provided OSINT services for businesses and private individuals.
He completed his Bachelor’s at the University of Pennsylvania before joining Mercury, a lobbying, consulting, and strategic communications firm in Washington DC. He then received his Master’s degree in Social Science of the Internet at the University of Oxford, within the Oxford Internet Institute. His thesis was a survey study examining the relationship between certain psychological traits and fake news vulnerability, as well as which interventions were most effective in reducing fake news vulnerability.
John works at a start-up where he leads user research, UI-testing, and user acquisition initiatives, and has incorporated the use of AI across a wide range of functions. At New Imagination Lab, John researches and writes about how AI will impact the human experience, particularly in relation to politics, international affairs, psychology, and society.
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