Cohort Two 

The 2025 cohort brings together exceptional global expertise and diversity, with researchers from eight countries and leading institutions worldwide. Their work spans disciplines from economics and policy to engineering, education, and artificial intelligence, reflecting a truly multidisciplinary approach.

• Bashar Alhafni, Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI), UAE
• Carolina Calvo, National Center for AI (CENIA), Chile
• Bharat Chandar, Stanford University
• Manuel Hoffmann, University of California, Irvine and Frank Nagle, MIT IDE
• Stephen Michael Impink, HEC Paris, France
• Jason Jabbari, Washington University, St. Louis
• Tingting Li, Washington State University
• Carolina Lopez, World Bank
• Laura Nurski, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Belgium
• Joseph Onderi Orero, Strathmore University, Kenya
• Sarah Rodriguez, Virginia Tech Foundation
• Robert Seamans, Stern School of Business, New York University and Arun Sundararajan, New York University
• Andrew Stokols, MIT/Singapore Management University, Singapore
• Inbal Talgam-Cohen, Tel Aviv University, Israel
• Skye Zhao, University of Manchester, England
• Sarayu Sundar, University of Colorado Boulder
• Wendy DuBow, University of Colorado Boulder

Opportunity, Education, and Work

This cohort explores how AI adoption varies across regions and sectors, what barriers and accelerators exist, and how education and workforce systems must evolve to keep pace with technological change. Researchers will investigate: 

• National Diffusion Differences: Comparative studies of AI strategies and adoption in East and Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa.
• AI and Education: The impact of AI on K-12 teaching, teacher training, and game-based learning, with a focus on equity and innovation.
• AI and Entry-Level Jobs: Labor market impacts, mentorship, and the emergence of new apprenticeship models in the digital economy.
• Community, Technical, and Vocational Colleges: Pathways for high-impact AI transitions, workforce development, and regional innovation.

Spotlight: People and Projects

Apprenticeships

Dr. Impink’s research at HEC Paris explores how digital tools are paving the way for white-collar apprenticeship programs. The project assesses whether successful European models can be adapted for the U.S. and other developed markets, highlighting the risks of relying solely on private investment in education and guiding future workforce policy.

The Two-Year Educational Platform

Sarah Rodriguez’s work focuses on community, technical, and vocational colleges as engines of equitable AI adoption. Her research informs strategies for workforce development and educational reform, ensuring that AI-driven change benefits learners from all backgrounds.

UAE and Singapore: National Diffusion Leaders

Projects from the United Arab Emirates and Singapore analyze why these countries lead in AI adoption—over 56% of their working-age populations actively use AI tools. Decades of strategic investment in digital infrastructure, education, and policy have accelerated responsible diffusion, offering actionable insights for nations seeking to close the AI adoption gap.

Continuity and Progress: Building on AIEI’s Inaugural Cohort

Cohort two’s work reflects AIEI’s commitment to continuity and progress. Last year, our researchers illuminated how AI diffusion is shaped by human agency, creativity, and the urgent need for educational transformation. This year, we look earlier in the educational pathway and deepen our inquiry—tracking how diffusion unfolds globally, and how local choices and partnerships drive real change.

Shaping the Economic Future by Design

AI’s diffusion will shape whether its benefits are broad and transformative or concentrated among a few. Inclusive and ethical design—through policies, infrastructure, and governance—ensures that AI advances human values while driving productivity and innovation. As this cohort begins its work, we look forward to the insights that will inform policy, guide educational reform, and inspire innovation across sectors and geographies, helping shape our economic future.

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The rhythm of business is the rhythm of knowledge 

Twice a year, AIEI issues themed Calls for Proposals (CFPs), inviting scholars and practitioners worldwide to explore the economic and social transformations driven by artificial intelligence. These CFPs are more than academic invitations—they are the heartbeat of a global community committed to building an inclusive, trustworthy AI economy. 

From these proposals emerge cohorts of senior fellows who engage in collaborative research, peer-reviewed scholarship, and practical writing. Each cohort contributes to a growing body of knowledge through journal articles and trade books designed for real-world audiences. This work comes alive through virtual and in-person workshops where Microsoft subject matter experts and external thought leaders refine insights and translate them into actionable strategies—ensuring research informs policy, investment, and practice rather than remaining theoretical. 

From insight to impact 

Each cohort embarks on a six-month journey culminating in peer-reviewed articles and a trade book, with every fellow contributing a chapter for practical audiences. These publications are not endpoints—they are catalysts. Workshops convene fellows with experts to challenge, refine, and transform insights into strategies that shape decisions across sectors. 

AIEI’s cadence fosters both depth and diffusion. From proposal review to manuscript submission, every phase builds knowledge that is rigorous, relevant, and ready to inform real-world decisions. External reviewers and advisory fellows ensure scholarly excellence and global representation, while Microsoft SMEs provide thought partnership to bridge research and implementation. 

Building a community of inquiry 

This rhythm creates more than outputs—it builds a community. AIEI is cultivating a living network of inquiry, where each cohort adds to a growing archive of evidence and insight. Through this model, we are not just studying the AI economy—we are shaping it. Fellows tackle urgent topics such as AI’s impact on education, workforce development, and human agency, offering solutions that help institutions and communities adapt and thrive. 

Dual Pathways to Knowledge 

Research awards and trade book contributions serve distinct yet complementary purposes within AIEI’s rhythm. Research awards fund deep, rigorous inquiry—giving scholars the time and resources to explore complex questions and produce peer-reviewed scholarship that advances the field. Trade books, by contrast, offer a real-time platform for dialogue and synthesis. Each fellow contributes a chapter, not as an isolated academic exercise, but as part of a collective voice reflecting shared learning. These books are designed for accessibility and impact, ensuring insights move beyond the academy to inform practitioners, policymakers, and the public. Together, these outputs embody AIEI’s dual mission: to generate knowledge and share it widely. 

Workshops: the connective tissue 

Workshops transform individual scholars into a true cohort—a community that learns, debates, and innovates together. These sessions are active laboratories where fellows test ideas against one another and with Microsoft subject matter experts. This dynamic exchange sharpens arguments, surfaces new perspectives, and ensures research is grounded in both academic rigor and practical relevance. By fostering collaboration and intellectual challenge, workshops make the think tank more than a collection of projects—they make it a living network of ideas. 

An economic future by design 

Ultimately, AIEI is about designing the future with intention. No single entity has all the answers to the questions AI poses. But by convening diverse voices, supporting actionable research, and sharing what we learn, we are building a think tank that is both reflective and responsive—a place where scholarship meets strategy and the future of work, education, and opportunity is imagined and built. 

Our goal is ambitious yet clear: to create an economic future by design. Through scholarship, engagement, and knowledge sharing, AIEI offers critical analysis and thought leadership at a moment when societies worldwide are grappling with profound change. We believe the future belongs to those who use AI thoughtfully—deepening human creativity and solving complex problems. By investing in research and convening global expertise, AIEI is charting a path toward purposeful transformation. 

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To quote Microsoft Vice-Chairman and President Brad Smith, “the most important work ahead isn’t just about building smarter machines—it’s about helping people thrive alongside them”, encapsulating the Institute’s mission to put humans at the center of AI-driven economic transformation.

The pilot cohort 

AIEI’s inaugural cohort launched in early 2025 with an initial point of inquiry focused on how AI can transform and enhance higher education – curriculum development, institutions, and specially computer science. 14 proposals were selected to investigate how generative AI can be effectively integrated into colleges and universities to drive innovation in teaching, learning, and workforce preparation.

These inaugural research projects span critical questions – for example, evaluating the real-world labor market value of AI skills and micro-credentials, and exploring how generative AI can spur academic innovation across disciplines. The goal of this first cohort is to produce actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and industry, guiding how we adapt to AI in education and ensuring those insights feed back into Microsoft’s own initiatives (like the Elevate skilling programs) to prepare people for the AI economy. So, while these scholars are producing peer-reviewed research, they are also providing real-time expertise at the speed of the AI Economy.

The AI Economy Institute and its inaugural cohort reflect Microsoft’s commitment to proactively shape an inclusive, opportunity-rich AI economy – one where AI’s benefits are broadly shared and humanity “thrives” alongside advancing technology. 

How AI can transform and enhance higher education? —curriculum development, institutional models, and workforce preparation.

AIEI’s inaugural cohort is leading on integrating generative AI into colleges and universities to drive innovation in teaching, learning, and credentialing. This translates to: 

Actionable Research for Education 

• Providing evidence-based insights on integrating generative AI into higher education that helps universities adapt curricula to meet AI-driven workforce needs, creates a network of thought leaders shaping AI’s role in education and economic opportunity. 

Understanding Direct Impact on Skills & Employability 

• Evaluating current labor market value of AI skills and micro-credentials, guiding educators and employers to support inclusive pathways for students and workers to thrive in the AI economy. 

Humanist AI 

• AI is at its most useful when it is an augmentation for human creativity and innovation. This cohort’s research draws attention to the necessity of deep learning and thinking as core to the educational experience. 

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