Dr. David Widder

Biography

David Widder studies how people creating Artificial Intelligence systems think about the downstream harms that such systems may cause and how wider cultural, political, and economic logics shape these thoughts. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Digital Life Initiative at Cornell Tech, where he honed his research focus. David earned his PhD from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, where he developed a strong foundation in the ethical implications of AI. His career has included research roles at Intel Labs, Microsoft Research, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, providing him with a diverse perspective on the technological landscape. David's recent work has been accepted by prominent conferences and journals, including FAccT, Nature, CSCW, and Big Data & Society. In addition to his academic research, he engages in scholarly activism, with contributions published in outlets such as Motherboard, Wired, and MIT Technology Review. His artistic practice maintains a conceptual-realist approach, and he is vocal about issues of police violence and pervasive surveillance. A native of Tillamook, Oregon, David has also spent part of his life in Berlin and Singapore, and he enjoys distance running as a personal pursuit.

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