Vilas Dhar is recognized as a leading global expert on the future of artificial intelligence and its role in shaping society. At the intersection of technology, governance, and human aspiration, he works to ensure that innovation serves the public good and strengthens the institutions that sustain democratic life. As President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, he leads one of the world’s foremost philanthropies committed to demonstrating how data and AI can be harnessed to advance equity, human dignity, and collective progress.

Under Dhar’s leadership, the Foundation is one of the largest global funders of AI for public purpose, stewarding a $1.5 billion endowment and directing more than $500 million in commitments to organizations advancing climate action, public health, education, and democratic governance. The Foundation has built pioneering AI tools, convened cross-sector coalitions, and partnered with governments, companies, and communities to show how emerging technologies can be designed and deployed for human benefit.

When we center people and build technologies for purpose rather than profit, we create a vast opportunity to amplify the very best of our humanity, creativity, and innovation.

Vilas S. Dhar

Grounded in a conviction that technology must be guided by human values and hope for a more just future, Dhar’s leadership extends across international governance. He has served as a member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, is the U.S. Government’s nominated expert to the Global Partnership on AI, and contributes to advisory councils at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI, OECD.AI, and MIT Solve. In 2022, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader, honoring his contributions to global dialogue on responsible innovation.

He is a widely recognized public intellectual. His essays and commentary in U.S. News & World Report, Nature, Indian Express, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe have framed international debates on AI governance, responsible innovation, and the social impact of technology. His LinkedIn Learning course, Ethics in the Age of Generative AI, has been translated into six languages and reached over 500,000 learners worldwide. He has addressed audiences at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the United Nations General Assembly, and other leading convenings on technology and society.

Through these roles, Dhar has emerged as a trusted global authority shaping the values and frameworks that will guide technological progress in the decades ahead. His work reflects a belief that hope can be a governing principle for technology, pointing to a future where innovation not only advances science and markets but also strengthens human dignity, equity, and shared prosperity worldwide.

In the News

U.S. News: AI Isn’t Some Hollywood Robot Fantasy. It’s Reality – and Biden and Trump Need to Explain How They’ll Harness It

U.S. News: Scarlett Johansson Raises Her Voice for All of Us on AI

GZERO Media: Reimagining Tomorrow: Breakthroughs in Data and AI for a More Resilient World

The Wall Street Journal: Pro Take: Tech Executives Call for Critical Thinking to Counter Deepfakes, Disinformation

Time Magazine: The Human Response to the Robots Taking Over Our World 

NBC News: Biden signs TikTok ban for government devices, setting up a chaotic 2023 for the app