Who are we ?
Kritikos is a collective of experts, academics, journalists, creatives, and activists who bring to the fore the nuanced, hidden, and involuntary mechanisms by which intellectual freedom and democratic debate are undermined.
Against the backdrop of an evolving AI-driven future, we examine, expose, and discuss how intellectual and political freedoms in public and individual life are subverted and manipulated.
We believe we need to broaden and open the traditional research base to allow for more diverse voices, and that formal education is no prerequisite to being an expert.
Our Mission
We want to create a space where bold minds can repurpose their voice and become active democratic agents.
Our People
Deepak Khemchandani
Lead Strategist
Deepak loves and despises technology. He appreciates the force for good that technology can be, while questioning on a daily basis the trade-offs being made that are dismantling personal privacy and common autonomy for the sake of convenience. With a background in litigation, ethical AI product innovation, legal tech, and startups, Deepak has an expertise in navigating the technological incursion upon our mental sovereignty, and understanding the core purpose of the education system in our techno-centric age. He is the founder at Dinosco and Darkness Duo Studios.
You can find Deepak on Substack at @thedeepstate
Susan de Groot Heupner
Lead Editor
Susan is a freelance scholar who writes about modern dualism and its role in producing social polarisation and politics of fear and hatred. In her work, she seeks out tensions and paradoxes, rejecting the assumption that social life should be devoid of friction and conflict, but aimed towards transcending differences. Trained as a discourse theorist and philosophical counsellor, she advocates for a politics of listening, one that moves beneath the surface of language to meet differences through lived, transformational encounters, rather than through the lens of fixed ideology.
You can find Susan on Substack at @doctorsuus
Amanda Tsioutis
Advisor - Partnerships
Amanda works at the intersection of emerging technologies and societal risk, examining how new capabilities reshape public life, institutional behaviour, and the conditions for open inquiry. She has led cross‑sector initiatives in the national security, human rights, and deep‑tech innovation spaces, bringing a systems‑level understanding of how decisions are made under uncertainty and how technological, geopolitical, and commercial forces interact. Trained in law and social science, her work often involves connecting researchers and institutions, translating rapidly evolving developments and risks into clear accountability frameworks for ethical decision‑making, resilient institution-building, and more reflective and democratic public dialogue
You can find Amanda on Substack at @amandatsi
Shannon Brincat
Advisor — Knowledge, Truth & Enquiry
Shannon maps the historical and cultural tradition of dialogical and relational thinking, examining how it could be used to navigate and resolve our defining global crises. He offers practical applications of structured and intentional dialogue across ethical, social, and political differences as a strategic tool for democratic agents to navigate complex policy challenges, counteract manipulation, and resist autocratic rule. Shannon is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations.
You can find Shannon on Substack at @sbrincat and access his work at www.shannonbrincat.com
Nicholas Morieson
Advisor — Politics, Culture & Society
Nicholas examines autocratic and populist movements and religious politics across five continents. With a background in political science and international relations, he provides a nuanced and theoretical perspective on the challenges of identity-based stories in shaping political behaviour and influencing democratic institutions. Nicholas is committed to genuine research practice that generates insights for constructive dialogue on social and political differences amid polarised debates.
You can find Nicholas on Substack at @nickmorieson
Joel Fehlberg
Merchandise Lead
Joel is a musician with an instinct for metaphor, able to uncover connections others often miss. A “loungeroom spin doctor,” he has a talent for sharpening the imagination and shaping ideas through language. He pushes against convention, except in the realm of French cuisine and fashion. Understanding the lived experience of strict ideological frameworks, he values intellectual independence and the discovery of a personally defined ethics and belief system. In his role at Kritikos, Joel seeks collaborations with artists and fashion brands to embody free thought.
You can find Joel on Substack at @tempustwo