Josh Joseph Joins the Berkman Klein Center as Chief AI Scientist

We are pleased to announce that Josh Joseph joined BKC as its new Chief AI Scientist. The role is the first of its kind at BKC, signalling a deeper commitment to in-house AI research and advancing AI in the public interest. 

Josh will lead efforts to measure and guide the agency of AI systems, develop benchmarks beyond traditional notions of “intelligence,” and help build BKC’s in-house AI research infrastructure. His past work with the Center has already shaped key questions about AI’s development and its impact on society.

I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Josh on several projects over the years, and I’m thrilled to see him take on this new role. His curiosity, humility, and dedication to public interest technology make him an exceptional partner. With his rare combination of intellectual rigor and warmth, Josh brings clarity and care to the future of AI," — Faculty Director Jonathan Zittrain

Josh combines deep academic expertise with hands-on industry experience. He earned a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, where his research focused on how artificial systems learn to operate in complex environments. His career spans the development of AI systems across sectors such as finance and life sciences. He later returned to MIT to serve as Chief Intelligence Architect of the Quest for Intelligence, an interdisciplinary initiative aimed at understanding and engineering intelligence.

Josh is also the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Covariance.ai, an MIT-based startup named to the STEX25 and awarded the 2024 Cubies Innovation Prize by Harvard’s D^3 Institute. He currently holds dual appointments as a Visiting Scientist at MIT and as a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School.

Josh has long been part of the BKC community — co-teaching Agentic AI and the Law, contributing to AI-related courses and participating in the 2021 Assembly Program.

Josh’s appointment marks a milestone in BKC’s growth as a leader in rigorous, interdisciplinary AI research. With his very ‘BKC’ blend of technical AI expertise, intellectual creativity, and multisector experience, Josh will strengthen our capacity for cutting-edge AI scholarship, convening, and tool-building to advance AI in the public interest,” — Alex Pascal, BKC’s new Executive Director.

Josh's return marks an exciting new chapter for BKC—one that deepens our commitment to rigorous, public interest–driven AI research and positions us to lead in shaping the future of this transformative technology.