Understanding (anti-)corruption in the age of AI

Since April 15, 2026, Dr. Carolina Gerli has joined the Human Understanding of Algorithms and Machines lab led by Prof. Nils Köbis at RC Trust as postdoctoral researcher. With her research background in AI and anti-corruption, she strengthens the group’s work on the opportunities and risks of using AI to combat corruption and enhance transparency and accountability more broadly.

Within HUAM, her research is embedded in the EU-funded Horizon project RESPOND (Grant Agreement No 101132405). The project seeks to better understand contemporary forms of political corruption, examine the dual role of digital technologies in enabling and combating it, assess its impact on democratic participation, and co-create new anti-corruption tools. In this context, Carolina will conduct mixed-methods research, including contributing to a survey, experiments, and in-depth interviews. Her work will investigate how and why citizens engage in anti-corruption efforts, how technology shapes such participation, perceptions of AI-based anti-corruption tools, and the emerging risks associated with AI.

Carolina recently obtained her PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the University of Bologna, Italy. Her thesis – awarded cum laude – explored the use of AI in anti-corruption in public organisations, focusing on public procurement applications within the EU. Employing qualitative methods, she conducted 71 interviews across Italy, Germany, Estonia, and Cyprus with public officials, data scientists, IT developers, and domain experts to examine how, why, and with what implications public organisations engage with AI in this domain.

Her research agenda is also informed by both her professional experience and academic background. Prior to academia, Carolina worked in Italy as a government digital transformation consultant at PwC Italy for four years, gaining first-hand insight into the intersection of technology and public governance. She holds an academic background in business and public administration from Bocconi University in Milan.