TLDR: Baobao Zhang, an associate professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, has been awarded a prestigious $567,491 NSF CAREER Grant. Her research will investigate the transformative effects of generative artificial intelligence on American workplaces, specifically focusing on its influence on worker productivity, job satisfaction, and skill development. This award recognizes her significant early-career contributions to AI governance and its societal implications.
Syracuse University’s Maxwell School is proud to announce that Baobao Zhang, an associate professor of political science and Maxwell Dean Associate Professor of the Politics of AI, has been honored with a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. This highly esteemed grant, totaling $567,491, will fund her groundbreaking project titled ‘Future of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Current and Future Workers.’
The NSF CAREER Award is a pinnacle of early-career recognition from the foundation, designed to support faculty members who seamlessly integrate exceptional research with educational initiatives. Professor Zhang’s study is set to delve into the profound ways generative AI is reshaping the American professional landscape. Her research will meticulously examine the multifaceted impacts of this advanced technology on crucial aspects of the workplace, including worker productivity, overall job satisfaction, and the evolution of essential skill sets among employees.
Joining the Maxwell School faculty in 2021, Professor Zhang has quickly established herself as a leading voice in the field of AI governance. She holds senior research associate positions with both the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute and the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Her academic pursuits are centered on understanding public and elite perceptions of AI, as well as how established institutions adapt and respond to rapid technological advancements. Her prior accolades for contributions to AI governance include the Public Voices Fellowship on Technology in the Public Interest (2023-24) and the Schmidt Futures AI2050 Early Career Fellowship (2022).
Professor Zhang’s influential work has been featured in prominent academic journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Human Behavior. She also co-edited ‘The Oxford Handbook of AI Governance,’ a significant contribution to the scholarly discourse on the subject.
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Dean David M. Van Slyke of the Maxwell School lauded Professor Zhang’s achievement, stating, ‘Professor Zhang’s work on the governance of artificial intelligence exemplifies the Maxwell School’s strength in addressing timely, real-world issues. This NSF CAREER Award not only acknowledges her exceptional early-career scholarship but also furthers our mission to equip future policymakers with tools to navigate an economy that is increasingly shaped by AI.’ This grant underscores the growing importance of understanding AI’s societal implications and preparing future leaders for an AI-driven world.
