Daniel Björkegren
Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs
Personal Details
Focus Areas: Development Economics, Machine Learning, Technology
Daniel Björkegren works on digital transformation and applied machine learning, with a focus on developing economies. He works on methods to make algorithms more humane: robust, transparent, and better aligned with societal values. He has worked on policy in network industries, and digital credit scoring for people excluded from traditional banking. His field work has mostly been in Rwanda, Kenya, and Nigeria. He previously worked at Microsoft, where he coded the photo app for the company’s first smartphone and later returned as a visiting researcher. He also taught high school along the Texas-Mexico border through Teach for America.
Education
- PhD in Economics, Harvard University
- MA in Economics, Stanford University
- MPP, Harvard Kennedy School
- BS in Physics, University of Washington
In The Media
“The economic and social implications of AI will not be figured out solely by computer scientists in the labs,” writes Daniel Björkegren about his SIPA course Our AI Future. “They will be figured out across society, by the entrepreneurs and tinkerers who see a bit ahead.”
Björkegren will contribute research on “AI for Science and in Low Income Countries.”
For AI to benefit all people, it will need to speak their languages and understand their worlds, writes Daniel Björkegren, assistant professor of international and public affairs.
Controlled studies capture only a fraction of the effects of artificial intelligence. Economists should work with social scientists to find innovative ways to fully grasp this fast-moving field, writes Daniel Björkegren.
SIPA Integrates Study of AI Into Diverse Course Offerings