Videos
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November 2024 CACM: The Paradigm Shifts in Artificial Intelligence -
When Should We Trust Machines? | Vasant Dhar | TEDxHamiltonCollege
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AI in Classrooms
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A.I. & Machine Learning: Investing in Tech on Wall Street (w/ Hari Krishnan & Vasant Dhar)
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AI with Vasant Dhar, Prof. Technology, Operations & AI Statistics, Stern School of Business, NYU
Learn More About Vasant Dhar
Artificial Intelligence has reached the point where it can make decisions on its own, potentially freeing up millions of hours for human workers. But an important question remains: when should it be allowed to?
Helping leaders understand how and when to strategically deploy and monitor AI tools is Vasant Dhar, Ph.D. A professor at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science, he’s a machine learning pioneer who was responsible for the first AI prediction system on Wall Street in the 1980s.
Through unparallelled experience and expertise, he brings clarity to the most important areas of concern created by modern AI – truth, trust and governance.
“Early AI systems were designed to reason from the knowledge we gave them. By contrast, today’s AI systems are incredibly intelligent learning machines that are created more in our own image,” explains Dhar, whose research spans finance, health care, media and consumer technology. “As a result, they’ve inherited some of our worst tendencies like lying for deception and manipulation. It’s vital for us to get our heads around the question of when we can trust machines to make decisions and how they should be governed.”
A “pracademic” who is both a transformative AI practitioner and a renowned academic, Dhar expertly advises business and government leaders alike. Distilling decades of research into an accessible guide for business leaders, policymakers and everyday citizens, Dhar’s latest book is “Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI” (Wiley, November 2025). He’s also creator and host of the companion podcast “Brave New World.”
An authentic voice who’s been in the machine learning space since its earliest days, his practical message grounded in the history of AI helps leaders make better decisions about today’s powerful iterations of the technology.
“Today’s AI are the first machines ever created by humanity without a purpose, they’re just designed to be intelligent for their own sake,” explains Dhar, co-author of a groundbreaking paper on olfactory AI – the ability for machines to recognize and classify smells the way they already process images or speech – which could have profound implications on disease detection, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and even cancer. “It’s vital to understand how we got here in order to understand the capabilities of the latest AI and the potential problems that can be created.”
Showing organizations how to take AI from vision to implementation, Dhar provides an accessible risk/reward lens that boosts competitiveness while applying practical governance policies. A charismatic, memorable speaker, he’s helping to construct a balanced, productive and prosperous future where humans and machines work together both safely and effectively.
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Vasant Dhar, Ph.D. is a professor at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science and is one of the world’s leading authorities on prediction, data science and trust in AI. He has spent his career helping the world understand — and trust — machines.
Dhar is a frequent commentator for media outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times and MIT Technology Review. He speaks at major conferences such as SXSW, NeurIPS and the World Economic Forum, offering insights on explainability, trust and the societal impacts of AI.
Dhar received a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, and his Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Vasant Dhar is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Become an Equal Partner in Your Organization’s AI Strategy
Traditionally, understanding an organization’s technology was left to the CIO, with other leaders taking a hands-off approach. But, according to renowned NYU Stern School of Business professor and machine learning pioneer Vasant Dhar, Ph.D., to create a competitive advantage in today’s brave new world of AI, leaders throughout an organization must become equal partners in their company’s technology conversation. In this revealing presentation, Dhar explains how middle managers can become more familiar with AI, its capabilities and what strategic goals should be prioritized. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of what’s “under the hood” and how AI can create a lasting competitive advantage.
AI Can Make Decisions on Its Own – But When Should It Be Allowed To?
With today’s AI systems able to act autonomously, is it safe to leave them unsupervised by humans? How should we govern AI in business and society? In this important presentation, renowned NYU Stern School of Business professor and machine learning pioneer Vasant Dhar, Ph.D., explains the vital factors that must go into evaluating how and when to deploy and monitor AI tools. Through his charismatic, memorable style, Dhar brings clarity to the most important areas of concern created by modern AI. Audiences leave with accessible frameworks for assessing risk, creating practical governance initiatives and knowing when to trust automated systems, topics of the most critical importance in today’s brave new world of AI.
To Understand the Brave New World of AI, Look to the Machines of Yesterday
As AI systems become more complicated, how can we know when it’s safe to rely on their predictions and decisions? According to renowned NYU Stern School of Business professor and machine learning pioneer Vasant Dhar, Ph.D., to fully grasp the AI of today, we must understand how we got here. In this eye-opening presentation, he draws on his new book “Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI” to reveal a risk/reward framework for today’s AI by investigating its evolution from the earliest systems. Arming audiences with strategies for understanding when to rely on AI’s “thought” process – and when not to – attendees leave with practical roadmaps for designing a future where humans and machines work together both safely and effectively.
Praise for "Thinking With Machines"
“Vasant Dhar has a unique perspective: building trading algorithms that compound tiny edges into fortunes, then watching AI evolve from narrow applications to a general-purpose technology. In 'Thinking with Machines,' he reveals when to trust algorithms, when to stay skeptical, and how to govern AI before it governs us. A must-read for our AI-powered future.”
“Clear, urgent, and deeply human. Dhar’s personal journey through AI makes 'Thinking with Machines' feel less like science fiction and more like a mirror―helping us reflect on trust, resilience and what it means to stay grounded in a world racing ahead.”
“At last, a book by one of the world’s leading AI researchers and practitioners that is both cutting edge and easy-to-read. Part history of the field, part handbook for the non-expert, part AI governance manifesto, and part author’s life journey, 'Thinking with Machines' is indispensable reading for professionals, policymakers, and concerned citizens grappling with the paradigm shift of our times.”
“In a world of wannabe AI experts, Vasant Dhar shines as someone who has played the long game, through successive AI hype cycles and winters. In this remarkable book, he provides a calm and reasoned way for us to decipher the world of AI and a playbook for dealing with the most important innovation of our time.”
“In a world filled with AI experts who alternate between relentless hype and imminent doom, Vasant stands out as someone who sees shades of gray in this debate, and has the expertise and good sense to gauge AI’s strengths and limits. I strongly recommend his new book 'Thinking with Machines' to everyone who is involved or interested in how AI will change the way we live and work, as I think it will.”
