Laurene Currie

Responsible AI Research Scientist, Laureate

Laurene leads research at the center of experience and ethical AI innovation. For two decades she’s researched human behavior, human-avatar interaction and consumer, nonprofit and higher education technology experiences, and driven initiatives that shape how organizations can adopt AI responsibly. She has a PhD in Usability Engineering, where she focused on people’s experiences of interaction, collaboration and learning via avatars in financial services contexts and a Master of Arts in Sociology. As a Responsible AI Research Scientist at Blackbaud and Research Advisor, AI Innovation for the Blackbaud Institute, her work includes developing AI experience frameworks, principles for agentic and generative AI to foster trust and clarity and conducting in-depth studies on customer and donor sentiment towards AI-enabled services. Laurene champions human-centered AI practices that prioritize transparency, inclusivity, and positive social impact.