Benjamin Shestakofsky is an assistant professor of information science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. Before joining Cornell, he was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.
What is your academic focus?
Work, technology, organizations, and political economy in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Could you briefly summarize your research?
My research has primarily centered on three themes: the social factors shaping AI development, with a particular focus on venture capital; the labor behind AI systems; and platform work.
Why Cornell?
Cornell’s reputation as a hub for scholars of technology and society is unparalleled. I’m thrilled to be joining an interdisciplinary department oriented around the kinds of questions I’ve been asking for years. The possibilities for collaboration both within information science, and across departments and schools, seem endless.
What are you most looking forward to as a Cornell faculty member?
I’m looking forward to collaborating with students here at Cornell. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from the new ideas, energy, and areas of research they bring to the table.
Which courses are you most looking forward to teaching?
I’m excited to teach an undergraduate course on the Political Economy of Technology. We’ll examine the social structures, rules, and interests that shape processes of technology development and use, while also exploring alternatives to dominant paradigms.