Kate Crawford is a leading scholar on the social, ethical, and political implications of artificial intelligence. Her research examines how AI systems shape and are shaped by power structures, historical contexts, and environmental impacts. With over two decades of experience studying large-scale data systems, she brings a critical perspective to the development and deployment of AI technologies.
Kate is a Research Professor at USC Annenberg, a Senior Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, and the inaugural Chair of AI and Justice at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. She has advised policymakers at the United Nations, the White House, and the European Parliament, helping to shape global discussions on AI regulation and ethics. Her work extends beyond academia, with research featured in Nature, Science, and AI & Society, as well as art installations exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Her acclaimed book, Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, explores the hidden costs of AI, from labour exploitation to environmental consequences. The book has been translated into twelve languages and was named one of the best books of the year by New Scientist and Financial Times. She also co-created Anatomy of an AI System, a visual investigation of the Amazon Echo that won the Beazley Design of the Year Award and is part of multiple permanent museum collections.
Kate continues to lead the Knowing Machines Project, a transatlantic research collaboration that examines how AI systems are trained and the implications of their data sources. Her latest project, Calculating Empires: A Genealogy of Technology and Power Since 1500, premiered at Fondazione Prada and won the European Commission’s Grand Prize for Science, Technology, and Art.