The Scott Trust, sole shareholder of Guardian Media Group, has appointed Sam Gregory, an internationally recognised technologist and human rights advocate, to its board. Gregory is executive director of WITNESS, a human rights organisation that uses video and audiovisual technology to document truth and defend rights.
Gregory is a leading authority on deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation, having testified before both houses of the US Congress on AI and synthetic media. Under his leadership, WITNESS received the inaugural Peabody Global Impact Award in 2024 for championing emergent media technologies in defence of human rights.
“We are all navigating AI’s extensive impact on the media industry,” said a statement from the Trust. “With over 25 years of global experience in innovation on video, technology and human rights, Sam’s expertise will be crucial in helping safeguard the Guardian’s future and bringing its journalism to new audiences.”
Gregory said: “I am delighted to be joining the Scott Trust Board. The Guardian’s commitment to independent, high-quality journalism and its crucial role in a healthy democracy are more vital than ever. I look forward to contributing to its mission and its future.”
The Scott Trust was originally created in 1936 to safeguard the Guardian’s journalistic freedom. It was replaced in 2008 by a limited company with the same core purpose: to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity, while promoting press freedom.
