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AI Economy Institute’s Cohort 2 explores how AI is reshaping classrooms and careers around the world, and how AI’s diffusion can broaden opportunity across institutions, regions, and economies.
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As AI reshapes learning, work, and economic opportunity, it’s increasingly important that we as a society understands how AI technology spreads and who benefits. AIEI’s second research cohort focuses on education in the AI economy, examining how AI diffuses through classrooms, community and technical colleges, as well as early‑career pathways, and how those dynamics vary across countries and institutions. Researchers from eight countries investigate how education systems and labor markets are adapting to AI in practice, and what steps we should take to expand opportunity more broadly and more equitably. Their work is informing policy, institutional strategy, and cross‑sector collaboration at a moment when the stakes for inclusive growth could not be higher.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI), UAE
Subtheme: Barriers and Opportunities for Generative AI in K-12 Arabic Education
Bashar Alhafni is an Assistant Professor of Natural Language Processing at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). His research focuses on Arabic NLP, particularly in developing human-centered language technologies. He leads the Arabic AI Modeling (Aram) Lab, working on areas like grammatical error detection, text simplification, and controlled natural language generation. Dr. Alhafni is dedicated to creating Arabic NLP applications that support education and contribute to social good.
University of Colorado Boulder (Affiliate Fellow)
Subtheme: Exploring the Preparation of AI-literate, AI-skilled, and AI-ethical college students in the US
Dr. Wendy DuBow is Director of Strategies for Education Research & Evaluation at the Center for Technology Workforce Innovation (formerly NCWIT) and affiliate faculty member in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Colorado – Boulder. Dr. DuBow conducts mixed methods of social science research, with a focus on systemic levers that can broaden participation in technology for historically marginalized and excluded populations.
Washington State University (Microsoft 50 for 50 awardee)
Subtheme: RAISE (Rural AI for Societal Equity): A Roadmap Linking Classrooms and Workforce Equity in the AI Economy
Tingting Li’s research focuses on human-AI collaboration, science assessment, and rural education policy. She leads projects on generative AI in K–12 classrooms, particularly in underserved schools, and co-directs CAiRE at WSU, where she collaborates with educators to design AI tools for classroom use. Dr. Li has published 37+ peer-reviewed articles and has received several prestigious fellowships.
World Bank
Subtheme: AI in the Classroom: Evaluating the Impact of Teacher Training on Teaching Practices and Student Outcomes
Carolina Lopez is a Research Economist in the Poverty, Inequality, and Human Development Team at the World Bank’s Development Research Group. Her research focuses on education, human capital, and behavioral economics, particularly how beliefs influence behavior and welfare.
Strathmore University, Kenya
Subtheme: AI in the Classroom: Evaluating the Impact of Teacher Training on Teaching Practices and Student Outcomes
Joseph Onderi Orero is a Senior Researcher in AI at Strathmore University’s School of Computing and Engineering Sciences. His internationally recognized research explores AI applications in education and health, and he has published extensively in these fields. Currently, Dr. Orero is exploring the use of Generative AI in game-based learning in Africa, aiming to integrate AI into education with an emphasis on ethical, human-centered design.
University of Colorado Boulder (Affiliate Fellow)
Subtheme: Exploring the Preparation of AI-literate, AI-skilled, and AI-ethical college students in the US
Dr. Sarayu Sundar is a Higher Education Faculty Research Associate at the Center for Technology Workforce Innovation (formerly NCWIT) at the University of Colorado – Boulder. Dr. Sundar leads the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends in computing student outcomes and oversees longitudinal enrollment, retention, and degree completion data across member institutions.
Washington University, St. Louis
Subtheme: Stacking AI Skills through Education-Industry Partnerships: Case Studies and Causal Evidence on Technology Training, Non-Degree Credentials, and Apprenticeships
Jason Jabbari is an Assistant Professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and leads the Center for Education Research, Practice, and Policy Partnerships (CERP3). His research focuses on improving outcomes for vulnerable populations, with a current emphasis on AI’s impact in education and workforce development. He also directs the Clark-Fox Policy Institute and leads research in career education, student mental health, and neighborhood effects. Dr. Jabbari serves as a Captain in the US Army Reserves.
Virginia Tech Foundation
Subtheme: A Study of Community Colleges and GenAI Diffusion: Understanding Innovation, Workforce Development, & Regional Pathways
Sarah Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on the engineering and computing identity development of historically marginalized populations in higher education. Dr. Rodriguez is currently involved in large-scale interdisciplinary projects on institutional environments and STEM identity, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Kapor Center.
New York University (AIEI Cohort 1 Senior Fellow)
Subtheme: Mapping High-Impact AI Transitions: Linking Occupations, Retraining Pathways, and Educational Institutions
Robert Seamans is a Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, Director of the Stern Center for the Future of Management, and a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research focuses on the economic impact of AI, robotics, and advanced technologies. His work has been published in top academic journals and cited by outlets like The Atlantic, The Economist, and The New York Times. In 2015, he served as the senior economist for technology and innovation on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers.
New York University (AIEI Cohort 1 Senior Fellow)
Subtheme: Mapping High-Impact AI Transitions: Linking Occupations, Retraining Pathways, and Educational Institutions
Arun Sundararajan is the Harold Price Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Technology, Operations, and Statistics at NYU Stern School of Business, where he also serves as Director of the Fubon Center for Technology, Business, and Innovation. Dr. Sundararajan is widely recognized as an expert on the economics of digital goods and network effects, the regulation of AI and digital platforms, and the future of work. His award-winning book, “The Sharing Economy,” has been translated into multiple languages. He co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Data Frontiers.
Stanford University
Subtheme: The Labor Market Impacts of Business AI Adoption
Bharat Chandar is a postdoctoral researcher at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, part of the Institute for Human-Centered AI. Dr. Chandar’s research focuses on AI’s impact on the labor market and productivity using a combination of big data and company partnerships. Bharat is a co-author on the recent “Canaries in the Coalmine” paper from Stanford.
University of California, Irvine
Subtheme: How Mentorship Affects AI Adoption and Usage – The Generative AI Gender Puzzle
Manuel Hoffmann is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine, at the Paul Merage School of Business and is also affiliated with Stanford University. Dr. Hoffmann’s research focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of open source software and artificial intelligence, with a broader interest in innovation and technology management. His work aims to deepen understanding of strategic issues facing large, medium-sized, and entrepreneurial firms.
HEC Paris, France
Subtheme: Does the growing use of digital tools pave the way for white-collar apprenticeship programs?
Michael Impink is an Assistant Professor of Strategy at HEC Paris and a research affiliate at Hi! Paris (AI for Society and Business) and Boston University TPRI. His research focuses on how digitization impacts firm structure and performance. Prior to the PhD, Michael was a senior manager at Microsoft based in Seattle and Singapore and a fellow at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Subtheme: How Mentorship Affects AI Adoption and Usage – The Generative AI Gender Puzzle
Frank Nagle is a Research Scientist at MIT where he studies AI, open source, cybersecurity, and technology strategy. He is also the Chief Economist for The Linux Foundation.
Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Belgium
Subtheme: First European evidence on AI and entry-level jobs: replicating the Canaries in the Coal Mine
Prof. Dr. Laura Nurski is Head of Program on the Future of Work at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, where she leads policy research on the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets, work organization and job quality. She is also Assistant Professor in the Work and Organizations Studies department at KU Leuven (Belgium) where she leads the Acerta Chair AI at Work, conducting experimental (workplace) research on AI and job design.
Tel Aviv University, Israel
Subtheme: Contracts for AI-Empowered Online Labor Markets
Inbal Talgam-Cohen is an interdisciplinary researcher focused on incentives, algorithms, and learning, drawing from the fields of computer science, economics, and law. Dr. Talgam-Cohen is a faculty member at Tel Aviv University and a visiting faculty at the Technion, where she began her academic career before moving to TAU. Her research group spans both institutions.
National Center for AI (CENIA), Chile
Subtheme: Explaining AI Diffusion in Latin America: Human Capital, Institutions, and Infrastructure
Carolina Calvo is an economist with 15 years of experience in program and policy evaluation, innovation systems, and strategic trade controls. Specializing in econometric analysis and impact evaluation, she focuses on R&D, productivity, and trade, bridging applied research with evidence-based policymaking. Her work centers on promoting innovation, advancing technology transfer, and generating evidence for effective public policy.
MIT/Singapore Management University, Singapore
Subtheme: Examining National Strategies for AI Diffusion in East and Southeast Asia: Policies, Networks, and Early Adopters
Andrew Stokols is Assistant Professor of urban studies at Singapore Management University. Dr. Stokols research examines the geopolitics of digital infrastructure, including smart cities, data platforms, cloud computing, and data regulation in China and Southeast Asia.
University of Manchester, England
Subtheme: Global Pathways of AI Diffusion: Skills, Governance, and Policy Strategies Across Regions
Xin Zhao (Skye) is a Lecturer in Generative AI for Education at the Manchester Institute of Education and a partner in UNESCO’s AI competency frameworks. Dr. Zhao also serves on the UN expert panel for Generative AI. Her research focuses on ethical, inclusive uses of AI in education.
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