Ziyaad Bhorat is a South African political theorist who researches automated technologies and democratic governance, drawing insights from the history of political thought. His work has been published in academic and general audience outlets across the US, UK, and South Africa, on topics ranging from Aristotle to AI judges. His Ph.D. (Political Science) will be completed in 2022 at UCLA, where he also received his M.A. He also holds an M.B.A., and an M.Sc. (African Studies) from the University of Oxford, studying there as a Rhodes Scholar, and a B.Bus.Sci. (Economics with Law) from the University of Cape Town. He is a faculty lecturer on technology and politics for EquiTech Futures, and has moreover worked in media and telecoms industries, consulting for companies like The Walt Disney Co. With the support of the USC Berggruen Fellowship, his projects will examine the classical foundations and implications of a new despotism within the context of rising digital authoritarianism.