Business, AI, and Democracy (BAID)
About BAID
"Democracy is widely believed to be necessary for the sustainability of markets that encourage investment and innovation to achieve private and social objectives."
Surprisingly then, as political polling shows, democracies are living in a moment of crisis. Business is not isolated from these trends. This initiative will explore the impact of social and traditional media, government regulation, misinformation, and new and emerging technologies on democracy.
BAID Insights
Exploring Democracy in the Age of AI
CBS Professor Bruce Kogut shares insights and reflections on the impact of social and traditional media, government regulation, misinformation, and new and emerging technologies on democracy.
Elon Musk has turned X (Twitter) into a free-for-all — and here’s the proof
Publication by: Gita Johar and Yu Ding
From discourse to discord: Data show how social media site has changed under Tesla founder’s direction
Al & State Propaganda: Fostering Public Engagement and Shaping Inclusive Policy Frameworks
Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory Renee Diresta speaks at Columbia Business School's The Hub Dear Mama Speaker Series. Part of BAID (Business, AI and Democracy). Commentary by Professor Andrey Simonov.
Into the Storm: Journalism and Democracy on January 6th
ITV news correspondent Robert Moore and cameraman Mark Davey speak at Columbia Business School's The Hub Dear Mama Speaker Series. Part of BAID (Business, AI and Democracy).
Combating Misinformation: A Consumer Psychology Perspective
With Professor Gita Johar. Part of BAID at The Hub.
A Marshall Plan for a Democratic Ukraine
A conversation between Yuriy Gorodnichenko and Jan Svejnar, with commentary by Bruce Kogut. Part of Columbia Business School's The Hub Dear Mama Speaker Series, BAID (Business, AI and Democracy).
Friend or Foe? Big Data as a Window Into Our Psychology
At an event hosted by CBS’s The Hub think tank, Professor Sandra Matz examines the algorithms that increasingly shape intricate digital profiles from our online activities.
With AI, ‘Don’t Fear, Steer,’ Says Professor Hod Lipson
In a discussion with CBS Professor Oded Netzer, the director of Columbia University's Creative Machines Lab offers reassurance on the technology’s dystopian risk and urges us to embrace its potential. His recommendation comes amid the "most dystopic" point yet – the transition between the third and fourth waves of AI.
From the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms
Columbia University Professor Chris Wiggins joins CBS Professor Bruce Kogut to discuss his new book How Data Happened, which explores the history of data and statistics from the end of the 18th century to the present day.
How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms
In a world swept up in heated debates about the risks artificial intelligence might pose to our jobs, our society, and our sanity, one might assume that AI is a relatively new concept and that its rapid emergence occurred out of nowhere.
Understanding the Impact of AI on Team Performance: Challenges and Insights for Successful Integration
New CBS research uncovers the surprising impact on performance, team coordination, and morale of integrating artificial intelligence into teams of human workers.
BAID Conference Highlights
Our Current Era
The Business, AI, and Democracy (BAID) conference, was hosted by Columbia Business School's think tank, The Hub, aimed to unpack the complexities of our current era where democracy faces significant challenges, and the role of business is increasingly intertwined with these societal shifts. See more past details on the event.
Past Agenda and Remarks
The agenda began with welcoming remarks from Costis Maglaras, the Dean of Columbia Business School, followed by an opening keynote by Sergei Guriev, Provost of Sciences Po and former Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. See more past details on the event.
Past Events
Business, AI, & Democracy Conference
The Business, AI, and Democracy (BAID) conference, hosted by Columbia Business School's think tank, The Hub, aimed to unpack the complexities of our current era where democracy faces significant challenges, and the role of business is increasingly intertwined with these societal shifts.
A Marshall Plan for a Democratic Ukraine
Democratizing Alternative Energy Solutions to Cities
Held on: February 23, 2023
Location: Dear Mama 611 West 129th Street New York, NY 10027
The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century: with comments on Russia and Ukraine
Held on: October 20, 2022
Location: Columbia Business School, David Geffen Hall at 645 West 130th Street
Latest Event Highlights
How could we use psychological targeting in a way that didn't lock us into our own echo chambers?
This was one of the topics that Columbia Business School Professor Sandra Matz explored in her insightful BAID The Hub at Columbia Business School Dear Mama Coffee Presentation 'Friend or Foe? Big Data as a Window into Our Psychology,' moderated by CBS Professor Gita Johar
Learn more on our event highlights on the Hub Events page.
In recent years, the media market in Russia has been reshaped by the government, affecting citizens' access to independent news sources. Experts believe media control and #censorship have intensified during the war with #Ukraine. Where do the Russian people go to get their news now, and how does it shape their beliefs?
Last week, Andrey Simonov, associate professor of marketing at Columbia Business School, explored the Russian media market and how it has evolved over the last year. Swipe to see photos from the compelling discussion.
This event, moderated by CBS professor Andrea Pratt, was part of a new speaker series presented by BAID @TheHub.
On March 27, 2023, the event discussed Ukraine's highly educated human capital and the need to attract foreign direct investment and align with the European Union for rebuilding, as part of BAID @The Hub's Dear Mama Coffee Speaker Series talk, 'A Marshall Plan for a Democratic Ukraine.'
Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Quantedge Presidential Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses the need to attract foreign direct investment for rebuilding Ukraine.
Stay tuned for the recap and videos of the event's speaker highlights.
Initiative Leadership
Led by Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Professor of Leadership and Ethics Bruce Kogut, in collaboration with CBS faculty, including Professors Ann Bartel, Gita Johar, Andrea Prat, Andrey Simonov, and external members like Professor Mario Small and Provost and Professor Sergei Guriev, BAID will conduct academic-quality studies and advocacy to stimulate public debate and exchange ideas to strengthen democracies.
Bruce Kogut
Bruce Kogut is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He teaches courses on Governance, Governance and Ethics, and Business Strategies and Solving Social Problems. He has taught in executive programs in the US, Europe, and China.
Gita Johar
Gita V. Johar (PhD NYU 1993; MBA Indian Institute of Management Calcutta 1985) has been on the faculty of Columbia Business School since 1992 and is currently the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business. Professor Johar received the Distinguished Alumnus award from IIMC in 2019. She served as the school’s inaugural Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from 2019 to 2021, Faculty Director of Online Initiatives from 2014 to 2017, Senior Vice Dean from 2011 to 2014, and as the inaugural Vice Dean for Research from 2010 to 2011.
Andrea Prat
Andrea Prat is the Richard Paul Richman Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, Columbia University. After receiving his PhD in Economics from Stanford University in 1997, he taught at Tilburg University and the London School of Economics. He joined Columbia in 2012.
Andrey Simonov
Andrey Simonov is the Gary Winnick and Martin Granoff Associate Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. His research covers various topics related to the marketing and economics of media products, such as measuring advertising effectiveness, media persuasion, product design, and competition in media and digital product markets.
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