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
Daniel Björkegren said “developing countries have gaping shortages of skilled workers” and AI could “ease this shortfall.”
Daniel Björkegren (with coauthor Joshua Blumenstock) writes that AI must be carefully adapted to benefit the poor, citing research in Kenya, Togo, and Sierra Leone.
Daniel Björkegren spoke with BBC Newsday about the possible benefits of AI for the developing world. (Audio begins at 48:15.)
Daniel Björkegren writes about how to harness the power of AI in the developing world.
SIPA welcomes some of the noteworthy additions for the coming school year.