Calliope Vakalopoulou

Thesis title: Governing the use of conversational AI systems for emotional/mental health and well-being: an ethical analysis on whether these emerging practices undermine human flourishing

Biography

Background

Calliope holds an LLB from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She came to Edinburgh to study an LLM in Medical Law and Ethics, graduating with Distinction and the Best Overall Mark (on-campus). In September 2025, she started pursuing a PhD in Law, investigating the use of generative AI chatbots for mental health and well-being and how these interactions impact users' human flourishing. In parallel, she is an intern in the AI and Data Ethics Board of Edinburgh Futures Institute and an Administrator at the Mason Institute.

Qualifications

LLB, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

LLM Medical Law and Ethics, University of Edinburgh (Distinction)

Responsibilities & affiliations

AI and Data Ethics Review Facilitator, AIDE Board, EFI (internship)

Administrator, Mason Institute

PhD Affiliate Centre for Technomoral Futures (CTMF), EFI

Convenor in the Medical Law Reading Group, Edinburgh Law School

Research summary

Bioethics, Medical Ethics, AI Ethics, Moral Philosophy, AI regulation

Past research interests

Master Thesis: 'Digital Resurrection and the Dead’s Rights: Do Griefbots Violate the Critical Interests of the Deceased?'

Affiliated research centres

Maclagan Prize for Best On-Campus Overall Mark in LLM Medical Law and Ethics

Mason Institute Essay Competition Postgraduate Category (Second Prize)

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