School of Social and Political Science

Rupert Thompson

PhD

Man in his thirties with long blond hair, blue eyes in a blue suit jacket ad white shirt.
R.E.Thompson-3@sms.ed.ac.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-thompson-9769603a3/

Research interests

Cultural Heritage Data & Digital Energy, environment and sustainability Governance & Democracy Historical approaches to science, technology and medicine Identities & Inequalities International development Science, knowledge and policy Science, technology and innovation South Asian studies

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Agriculture; Science and Technology Studies (STS); Digital Governance; Agroecology; Climate Change; Political Economy of Technology; Development Studies; History and Philosophy of Science

Background

I am a PhD student in Science, Technology and Innovation Studies at the School of Social and Political Science, researching the transformation of agriculture through artificial intelligence and digital technologies. My research examines how AI-enabled agricultural systems reshape relationships between farmers, scientists, extension services and the state, with a focus on smallholder farmers in Brazil and India. It asks whether these technologies strengthen farmers’ autonomy and capacity to respond to environmental change or create new forms of dependence through data and technical expertise.

Works within