By promoting transparent water use reporting, policymakers can advance insights into the scale and scope of data center-induced water risks and help develop timely interventions.
Lakshmee Sharma is a senior research analyst in the Technology and International Affairs Program at Carnegie, where she focuses on the social, political, and economic impacts of digital technology. With an international development perspective, she explores technology adoption for equitable inclusion.
Prior to her role at Carnegie, Lakshmee worked at Aapti Institute, where she supported three Indian states in developing accessible e-governance for last-mile populations. Her recent research includes assessing the technical limitations of using machine learning models to inform public policy, and equitable civic tech design in the U.S. She has also studied labor transitions in the context of app-based gig work, urban informality, and climate change in India. Her work and commentary have appeared in the Hindu, DECISION, the Economic Times, the Bastion, Freedom Gazette, and Deccan Herald.
Lakshmee's academic background includes an MA in law and diplomacy from The Fletcher School where she focused on technology and public policy; an MSc in social anthropology from the University of Oxford; and a BA (triple major) in sociology, psychology, and English from Christ University.
By promoting transparent water use reporting, policymakers can advance insights into the scale and scope of data center-induced water risks and help develop timely interventions.
International AI governance enshrines assumptions from the more well-resourced Global North. These efforts must adapt to better account for the range of harms AI incurs globally.
Africa leads the world in mobile money adoption while cyber attacks and fraud are rising. How are new efforts faring to increase security and trust in digital financial inclusion?