Dr. Emily L. Spratt

Dr. Emily L. Spratt is a Research Professor of cultural diplomacy and the ethics and policies surrounding AI and emerging technologies.

Her current research concerns the philosophical, ethical, and legal implications of AI techniques used in the analysis, generation, and curation of digital images, and their transformation of our global visual culture.

She completed her postdoctoral research at Columbia University in the Data Science Institute in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science and the Program in Historic Preservation. She earned her doctorate from Princeton University in Byzantine and Renaissance art history, holds master of arts degrees from Princeton and the University of California, Los Angeles, and has a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University.

Dr. Spratt has taught at Columbia University, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Masaryk University, Rutgers University, Princeton, UCLA, and Cornell. She is also a strategic advisor in art and technology, and has executive training from the Harvard Business School.

Outside of academia, she has worked with a variety of international companies, not-for-profit institutions, and governments on projects showcasing the uses of emerging technologies for art, music, and film. One of her most inspirational early-career experiences was the opportunity to have worked with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture on the recognition of Corfu Town, Corfu, Greece, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. More recently, Dr. Spratt was an expert contributor for the G20 Summit on cultural heritage and AI. Previously, she was the art curator for the Global Forum on AI in Paris, which was sponsored by the office of President Emmanuel Macron.

Dr. Spratt has received numerous fellowships, grants, and awards for her research, and her insights on AI, art, and society have been covered by The Washington Post, CBS News, and a host of other media companies.