Gerald Mako

Gerald Mako is a Research Affiliate of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum at Cambridge University. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and great power competition in Asia. He pays special attention to how China and Russia weaponise information ecosystems through large-scale social-media manipulation, AI-generated synthetic content, deepfake campaigns, and covert influence operations to reshape global public perception, destabilise democratic discourse, and advance strategic narratives that erode trust in Western institutions.

A central pillar of Gerald’s work addresses how the accelerating global race in AI-driven capabilities is altering traditional calculations of risk, deterrence, and long-term geopolitical advantage. His scholarship has contributed to multilateral debates on regulatory frameworks for AI, advocating balanced approaches that combine prohibitions on systems unable to comply with international humanitarian law with robust requirements for meaningful human control, accountability, and ethical use.

Gerald has held visiting fellowships at Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, and has delivered guest lectures on four continents. Beyond academia, he has worked extensively with international organisations including UNDP, the Gates Foundation, WHO, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Through advisory roles with European and Asian governments, he has helped shape national strategies on cyber resilience, countering authoritarian information manipulation, and the responsible governance of AI.