Press Releases

NYU Stern Experts Available for Comment on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology on Business and Society

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NYU Stern School of Business faculty are available to offer expert analysis on the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it will impact our economy and society.  

In addition to commentary on how AI will change the way we work and live, NYU Stern professors can discuss how businesses, educational institutions and governments can adapt and meet the challenges presented by AI; the power of crowdsourcing; the impact of AI on retail and e-commerce; AI’s impact on teams; big data analytics and machine learning; tech IPOs to watch in 2019; and more.

Topics include:
  • When do we trust Artificial Intelligence? Prof. Vasant Dhar pioneered the use of machine learning in finance, answering questions such as "Should you trust your money to a robot?" and "Could your future financial advisor be a robot?" He warned about the risks to individuals and society posed by AI platforms well before the Facebook scandal and proposed guidelines for regulating such platforms to minimize risks, which include data misuse and mass manipulation by malicious actors.
  • The economic toll of high tech: Prof. Nicholas Economides points to income inequality and job losses, particularly in California’s IT sector, as a natural consequence of growing tech in business.  He asserts that the value-add from CA’s high-tech sector primarily goes to founders and shareholders, rather than workers.
  • Enhancing the customer experience: Prof. Ari Ginsberg believes major Internet service companies will continue to use AI, coupled with IoT, big data analytics, machine learning and robotics to enhance the customer experience and that AI will become an integral part of cloud services. He cautions that firms investing in these technologies should pay close attention to ethical and human concerns regarding bias, security and employment displacement.
  • Will crowdsourcing and AI deliver the next big advancement? Prof. Hila Lifshitz-Assaf, whose research focuses on new ways of organizing for scientific and technological innovation, examines how AI and crowdsourcing can identify insights that lead to breakthroughs in her latest paper.
  • Trailblazing leaders in tech & innovation:  Prof. Melissa Schilling, an expert in technological change and innovation and author of Quirky: The Remarkable Story of the Traits, Foibles, and Genius of Breakthrough Innovators Who Changed the World, offers insights on successful innovators throughout business history and today.  
  • Policy-making for tech & innovation: Prof. Robert Seamans, who recently completed a one-year appointment as a Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers focusing on policies related to tech and innovation, has written about the AI startup landscape and conducted research on AI’s impact on labor and productivity. He believes we’ll see an influx of AI consulting firms that will help tailor solutions involving AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and other tech innovations for customers as well as continued tech-related congressional hearings.
  • Mitigating income inequality: Prof. Haran Segram examines how governments and educational institutions can help the workforce adapt to the changing landscape of employment and avoid AI-driven income inequality. He also looks at competition among and potential regulation of today’s big tech firms.
  • AI, the future of work, and tech IPOs to watch: Prof. Arun Sundararajan, author of The Sharing Economy, has conducted research focused on AI, digital platforms and the future of work. He has testified before Congress on the sharing economy and how it relates to the nation's workforce policies. Additionally, he can offer insights on the year’s biggest tech IPOs.
  • How will AI shape our futures?  Futurist Prof. Amy Webb uncovers the invisible ways major tech companies are shaping our futures through AI, from her forthcoming book, The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity.

Please contact the Office of Public Affairs at 212.998.0670 or paffairs@stern.nyu.edu, or the faculty directly to arrange interviews.