Professor Tom Crick MBE FLSW FAcSS is Professor of Digital Society and Policy at the University of Bristol and Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). His disciplinary background is in computer science, and his work spans academia and government, focusing on how digital technologies, data, and AI intersect with society, culture, the economy, and public policy.

Alongside his academic role, Tom serves as CSA at DCMS (2023–present), providing independent scientific and technical advice to ministers and senior officials. In this role, he leads departmental strategy on research and evidence, digital and data policy, and responsible AI adoption, working closely with colleagues across government, DCMS sectors, regulators, and international partners. He is a Council Member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and has held a wide range of advisory and non-executive roles across utilities, health and social care, media and telecommunications, and national infrastructure.

Prior to joining the University of Bristol, Tom held senior research and academic leadership roles at Swansea University, including Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Civic Mission). He has played a prominent role in education and skills reform, particularly in computing and digital education, leading and advising on national curriculum and qualification reform in Wales and contributing to UK-wide policy debates on digital skills and digital infrastructure. His academic work is highly interdisciplinary, with an emphasis on translating research into policy and practice, and he has published extensively across computing, education, and public policy. Tom is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (2020) and the Academy of Social Sciences (2022), and was appointed MBE in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to computer science and the promotion of computer science education.