Speakers for TASI 2026

Journalist, researcher and policy practitioner with over 10 years of experience working at the intersection of disinformation, technology, artificial intelligence, and public policy. Currently leads WebQoof, the award-winning fact-checking initiative at The Quint, where he manages editorial strategy, international partnerships and AI-driven product development. His work increasingly focuses on AI governance, digital policy, information integrity and emerging technologies, with particular interest in how AI reshapes geopolitics, democratic institutions and public discourse.

Dr. Adam Seldow serves as Senior Director of Education Policy at Roblox with the goal of contributing to the next generation of creators. Dr. Seldow taught secondary school mathematics and led technology in large US school districts. He earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his master's and doctoral degrees in education policy and leadership from Harvard University.

An Indian Police Service Officer. She holds domain specific expertise on Combatting cyber crimes against women and children. Ms. Dongre is part of the INTERPOL South Asian Child Trafficking Victim Identification Task Force and was an integral part of the Kerala Police team addressing child sexual abuse. She had the privilege of representing Kerala Police at the National security conference 2023 of the Government of India on Kerala Police’s institutionalized approach in Combating Online Child sexual abuse. She has been accoladed for her sessions for police recruit trainees on Child Sexual Abuse material and police-public perception at Kerala police academy. Ms Aishwarya has authored a research paper : The Perfect Victim- which analyses crime data trends between online and offline child sexual abuse and another research based on Drug Investigation in India. She organized a “Women Security Fair – Uyare,” a one of its kind gathering of district departments to provide a multi-pronged approach to women’s safety and security. Over 3000 women attended the initiative, where attendees discussed cyber security, financial security, employment security, and health and emotional well-being. Ms Dongre set up Kerala’s first Cyber Simulator room in Kochi for protecting children in the online space by exposing them experientially to online cyber crimes. She also Initiated A Cyber Ambassador Project as a District Police head of Thrissur Rural, that made youth leaders as cyber safety ambassadors from different colleges and youth organizations. She believes that technology is here to grow – and as enforcement officers riding the tide is the only way forward. She was one of the 5 participants chosen from India for the prestigious US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program in 2024 on working in the space of Combating Human Trafficking with Technology.

Aishwarya Salvi is a digital and AI policy specialist working at the intersection of technology, public policy, and international development cooperation. At GIZ, she works on digital policy and international cooperation, supporting collaboration between India and Germany on emerging technologies and digital transformation. Her work has increasingly focused on AI, with a particular interest in AI governance, responsible and inclusive AI, open-source AI, and strengthening AI ecosystems.

Akash Pugalia is Chief Digital Officer at TP, where he leads TP.ai Data Services and the company's global Trust & Safety business. With more than 25 years of experience across technology-enabled services, Media & Entertainment, Gaming and Trust & Safety, Akash has built and led global businesses serving some of the world's leading technology platforms. His work focuses on the intersection of AI, data, human expertise and trust, with particular emphasis on responsible AI, AI data, online safety and the evolving role of human intelligence in AI-enabled environments. He is passionate about building practical approaches to Trust & Safety that balance innovation, scale and the need to protect people in increasingly complex digital ecosystems.

Anil Raghuvanshi is the Founder of ChildSafeNet, a Nepal-based organisation dedicated to protecting children and young people online. He is a writer and an internationally respected expert speaker on child online protection, with more than 35 years of child protection experience. Anil has worked at national and international levels, including in nine countries across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. His career includes roles with UNICEF, ECPAT International, Save the Children, Plan International and the International Labour Organization. Through ChildSafeNet, he combines research, awareness, capacity building and advocacy to prevent online harm. His work addresses online sexual exploitation and abuse, grooming, cyberbullying, technology-facilitated violence and risks associated with artificial intelligence. As Principal Investigator, Anil has led research on parenting in the digital age, online intimate partner violence, online grooming and generative AI’s implications for children. He translates evidence into practical guidance for families, professional training and recommendations for safer platform design. He serves on the WeProtect Global Alliance Steering Committee and the Sexual Violence Research Initiative’s Global Advisory Group. Drawing on experience in emergencies and conflict settings, he champions prevention, children’s meaningful participation and collaboration among families, educators, researchers, governments and technology companies to create safer digital environments for all children.

Ankit Bose leads the AI vertical at Nasscom with a clear conviction that 'AI must scale with trust, not hype'. He works at the intersection of policy, innovation, startups, research, and enterprise adoption, thereby helping organizations move from pilots to production-grade AI that businesses can run and engineers can implement. His mission is to turn India’s diversity and scale into a global advantage, shaping the 'Safe, Trusted, and Scalable AI' and unlocking a $500B opportunity through execution. As head of Nasscom AI, Ankit architects ecosystem programs like the Nasscom GenAI Foundry to connect deep-tech startups with enterprise demand, leads the Nasscom Responsible AI practices around safety and accountability, and guides CXOs through adoption frameworks and maturity benchmarks.

Apar Gupta is a lawyer and writer on democracy and technology, and the Founder Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF). He has acted as a counsel in leading constitutional cases on freedom of speech and privacy. Apar was the co-founder of the SaveTheInternet.in, a grassroots campaign that mobilised over a million Indians and secured strong net neutrality safeguards, and since 2018, he has lead IFF where he pairs campaigns with policy advocacy and impact litigation on issues of digital access and coercion. He has assisted in drafting three distinct Private Member’s Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha also deposed before Parliamentary Committees of Information Technology; and, Science and Technology on topics of study including Net Neutrality, Internet Shutdowns, Online obscenity and the DNA Bill. In recognition of this work, Apar was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2019 and named by Rest of the World in its ROW100 for Global Tech’s Changemakers. Apar writes and speaks widely on law, technology and democratic governance and is globally cited as an expert by publications including Wired, MIT Tech Review, Financial Times and the Gaurdian.

Ashwini Natesan is a legal consultant and research fellow specializing in Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) law. As a Research Fellow at LIRNEasia, a tech policy think tank, founded in Sri Lanka, she focuses on issues relating to data protection, data governance, online safety, AI ethics, and the use of data for public good. She is also a Consultant at Julius & Creasy for TMT law. Additionally, she undertakes independent projects related to online safety, data protection, AI governance, and the right to information. She has several publications to her credit and frequently presents at conferences nationally and internationally. She is a Director on the Board of a leading financial institution in Sri Lanka. Previously, she was part of the Responsible AI sub-committee tasked with drafting Sri Lanka's National AI Strategy. She is a part of the Digital Trust Alliance Board, an initiative to promote trust and safety. She was selected to the Media Policy Institute at the University of Oxford in 2024 and is a former Fellow of the Internet Law and Policy Foundry. She was also selected as a regional expert for the Asia Pacific Consultation on Human Rights in the Digital Space by the International Commission of Jurists in 2025. She holds an LL.M. (Master of Laws) from the National University of Singapore and has completed various certifications, fellowships, and programmes, including in AI policy, AI Governance, and AI Safety Fundamentals.