Jacqueline's MTF experience.
Her research began with a frustration: AI that could catch slurs but missed the quieter harms. It became her MTF project, and then Areto Labs.
The She Shapes AI Global Award for AI + Safety, 2026
Congratulations Jacqueline Comer and the team at Areto Labs.
Areto's product research began in 2019 at academyEX, during Jacqueline's Master of Technological Futures. Six years on, it's protecting millions of people online.
From a question in 2019 to a global award in 2026.
Areto Labs is an AI safety company based in New Zealand. Its technology identifies and intercepts harmful content across online communities. The research that led to it was developed during Jacqueline Comer's Master of Technological Futures at academyEX in 2019.
Today, Areto's platform has analysed 24 million online interactions, identified and actioned more than 2 million harmful ones, and reduced hate speech by up to 99 percent in the environments where it's deployed. Its technology is used across sport, media and the public sector, including FIFPRO women's football and Pride Cup.
On 17 April 2026, Jacqueline and the Areto Labs team won the She Shapes AI Global Award for AI + Safety, recognising women building responsible, real-world AI. The recognition is theirs. The thread is one we're proud to have helped start.
In the news!
What the work has done
24 million
online interactions analysed
2 million
harmful interactions intercepted
99%
reduction in hate speech in deployed environments
Global
deployments across sport, media and the public sector.
More voices from academyEX
Stacey Morrison, MTF
Michael Zhang, MTF
Graduates of March 2026
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The Master of Technological Futures is a part-time Masters for working professionals ready to build something real.
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