Bev Townsend

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Profile

Biography

Dr. Bev Townsend

BA LLB LLM PGDip LLM (cum laude) (University of Cape Town) MSt (with distinction)(Oxon) PhD (University of Cape Town)

I am a BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) Research Fellow specialising in the law and ethics of emerging digital technologies. The fellowship, in collaboration with non-academic partner Microsoft Research Cambridge, uncovers and recommends regulatory policy guidelines informing legal, socio-ethical, and cultural aspects in AI-supported medical technology adoption.

I have worked at the intersection of law, ethics, and resilient autonomous systems and robotics and related-technologies (including digital and biotechnologies). My research on the REASON project has been around law and technology, including, eliciting non-technical SLEEC system requirements, normative conflict resolution in human-agent interaction, global health, human rights (privacy and data protection, health rights), and policy regulation and ethical standard-setting (including, of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems).

I have 12 years of corporate legal and risk experience in the financial, banking, and insurance sectors.

Research

Overview

Research interests:

Law and technology

Artificial Intelligence law

Data Protection and international data sharing

Medical device and AI-supported digital health technology regulation

Law and ethics in robotics and autonomous systems (A&E triage robot DAISY, Assisted Care AS, social robots, Autonomous drones ASPEN)

Human Rights

Bioethics, medical law, and global health

Policy development and law reform

Publications

Selected publications

Published papers:

1. Townsend, B.A. et al. (2022). From Pluralistic Normative Principles to Autonomous-Agent Rules. Minds and Machines. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-022-09614-w.

2. World Health Organization. (2023). Regulatory considerations on artificial intelligence for health. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/373421.

3. Townsend, BA. Plant, K. Hodge, V. Ashaolu, O. Calinescu, R. (2023). Medical practitioner perspectives on AI in Emergency Triage. Frontiers in Digital Health.https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1297073.

4. Plant, K. Townsend, B. Ashaolu, O. (2023). Clinician perspectives around automating the Emergency Department triage process. Ergonomics & Human Factors. https://publications.ergonomics.org.uk/uploads/Clinician-perspectives-around-automating-the-Emergency-Department-triage-process.pdf.

5. Gwagwa, A. & Townsend. B. (2023). ‘Re-imagining Africa’s sovereignty in a digitally interdependent world’ Emerging Global Governance project at Global Policy.

https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/10/05/2023/re-imagining-africas-sovereignty-digitallyinterdependent-world.

6. Townsend, B. & Gwagwa, A. (2023). Authoritarian alliances and the politicking of data in Africa. Stanford Journal of Online Trust and Safety. (Published 25 September 2023).

7. Townsend, B. et al. (2023). Mapping the regulatory landscape of AI in healthcare in Africa. Frontiers in Pharmacology. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1214422.

8. Sihlahla, I. Donnelly, D. Townsend, BA. Thaldar, DW. (2023). Legal and ethical principles governing the use of Artificial Intelligence in radiology services in South Africa’. Developing World Bioethics.

9. Townsend, B.A. (2021). Decoding the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. American Society and International Law Insights.

10. Townsend, B. & Botes, M. (2023). Bridging the regulatory gaps created by smart and connected technologies in South Africa. SAJBL. April 2023, Vol. 16. No. 1.

11. Townsend B, Gooden A, Botes M, Thaldar D. (2023). Repurposing research data for commercial use: POPIA, a foil or a facilitator?. S Afr J Sci. 119(7/8). https:// doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/15075.

12. Thaldar, D.W., Townsend, B.A., Botes, M. Shozi, B. Pillay, S. (2021). A Virtual Deliberative Public Engagement Study on Heritable Genome Editing Among South Africans: Study Protocol. Plos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256097

13. Townsend, B.A. (2021). The lawful sharing of health research data. Information & Communication Technology Law. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600834.2021.1918905.

14. Townsend, B.A. (2020). Software as Medical Devices (SaMDs): Critical rights issues regarding AI software-based health technologies in South Africa. Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir SuidAfrikaanse Reg. 4:747-762.

15. Thaldar, D. Townsend, BA et al. (2022). The multidimensional legal nature of personal genomic sequence data: a South African perspective. Frontiers Genetics. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.997595/full.

16. Yaman, SG. Townsend, B. Cavalcanti, A. Calinescu, R. (2023). Specification and Verification of Social, Legal, Ethical, Empathetic and Cultural Rules for Autonomous Agents at https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.03697.

17. Townsend, B.A., & Thaldar, D.W. (2020). Navigating uncharted waters: biobanks and informational privacy in South Africa. South African Journal on Human Rights 35(4):329350. https://doi.org/10.1080/02587203.2020.1717366.

18. Thaldar, D.W & Townsend, B. A. (2021). Exempting health research from the consent provisions of the South African Protection of Personal Information Act. PER. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2021/v24i0a10420.

19. Thaldar, D.W & Townsend, B. A. (2021). Protecting personal information in research: Is a code of conduct the solution? South African Journal of Science. 117(3/4). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/9490.

20. White, L. Picardi, C. Paterson, C. Townsend, B. et al. (2023). Trustworthy Autonomous Systems and Disabled Young People: A Critical Literature Review. https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/b6vn2/.

21. Townsend, B. A. (2020). Human genome editing: how to prevent rogue actors. BMC Medical Ethics 21(95). doi: https://doi/10.1186/s12910-020-00527-w.

22. Townsend, B.A., Mars, M., & Scott, R.E (2019). The Development of Ethical Guidelines for Telemedicine in South Africa. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law (June 2019).

23. Townsend, B.A., Mars, M., & Scott, R.E (2020). The HPCSA’s telemedicine guidance during COVID19: A review. S Afr J Bioethics Law13(2):x-x. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJBL.2020.v13i2.725.

24. Townsend, B.A., & Thaldar, D.W. (2020). Informed consent and medical malpractice suits:Beukes v Smith. South African Law Journal.137:13-25. https://doi.org/10.47348/SALJ/v137/i1a2.

25. Thaldar, D.W., & Townsend, B.A. (2020). Genomic research and privacy: A response to Staunton et al. South African Medical Journal.

26. Thaldar, D.W., Botes, M., Shozi, B., Townsend, B.A., & Kinderlerer, J. (2020). Human germline editing: Legal-ethical guidelines for South Africa. South African Journal of Science. 116(9/10):27-33.

27. Townsend, B.A. & Shozi, B. (2021). Altering the human genome: mapping the genome editing regulatory system in South Africa. Potchefstroom Electronise Reg.

28. Shozi, B. Thaldar, DW. Kinderleler, J. Kamwendo, T. Townsend, BA. Botes, M. (2021). The Future of Global Regulation of Human Genome Editing: A South African Perspective on the WHO Draft Governance Framework on Human Genome Editing. Journal of Medical Ethics. doi:10.1136/medethics2020-106863.

29. Thaldar D, Shozi B, Steytler M, Hendry G, Botes M, Mnyandu N, Townsend, B. (2022) A deliberative public engagement study on heritable human genome editing among South Africans: Study results. PLoS ONE 17(11): e0275372. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365814355_A_deliberative_public_engagement_study_on_heritable_human_genome_editing_among_South_Africans_Study_results.

30. Thaldar, D. Abdulrauf, L. Ogendi, PO. Gooden, A. Donnelly, D. Townsend, B. (2023). Data sharing governance in sub-Saharan Africa during public health emergencies: A response to Brand et al. South African Journal of Science.

31. Swales, L. Ogendi, P. Botes, M. Townsend, B. Donelly, D-L. Abdulraif, L. Thaldar, D. (2022). A Data Transfer Agreement template for South Africa. https://zenodo.org/record/7537396#.Y-FseC2l1R5.

32. Swales, L. Ogendi, P. Botes, M. Townsend, B. Donelly, D-L. Abdulraif, L. Thaldar, D. (2022). Explanatory memorandum: A data transfer agreement (DTA). https://zenodo.org/record/7537396#.Y-FseC2l1R5.