The US government has subsidized the business of high technology for decades. Today it funds numerous programs that push the frontier in machine learning and artificial intelligence. How should we think about this activity in light of its history? This discussion will examine the “mother of all such experiences,” the commercial internet, and use that to illustrate the multiple channels for the interplay between business and government.

Speaker Bio:

Shane Greenstein is the Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative. He teaches in the Technology, Operations and Management Unit. Professor Greenstein is also co-director of the program on the economics of digitization at The National Bureau of Economic Research.

Encompassing a wide array of questions about computing, communication, and Internet markets, Professor Greenstein’s research extends from economic measurement and analysis to broader issues. His most recent book is How the Internet Became Commercial (2015, Princeton University Press). He also publishes commentary on his blog, Digitopoly, and many media outlets cover his work.

Professor Greenstein previously taught at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. He received his PhD from Stanford University, and his BA from University of California at Berkeley, both in economics. He continues to receive a daily education in life from his wife and children.