Dr. Andreas Weigend is a leading expert, educator, and advisor specializing in the future of big data, social-mobile technologies, and consumer behavior. As the former Chief Scientist at Amazon, he was instrumental in shaping the company's pioneering AI and data strategy. His current work, grounded in his role as Director of the Social Data Lab, focuses on helping organizations and governments understand and ethically leverage the immense power of social data.
Weigend's career is defined by the intersection of rigorous science and commercial application. He earned his PhD from Stanford and taught at major institutions, including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Shanghai's Fudan University, where he teaches the Social Data Revolution course. His core research into consumers and the data they create helped define how companies reach and retain customers, leading to his highly sought-after consulting role with major global firms such as Alibaba, BMW, and MasterCard.
Above all, social responsibility is crucial to Weigend’s vision of democratic data use. He proposes ways in which big data can directly empower all individuals, a message detailed in his widely praised 2017 book, Data for the People: How to Make Our Post-Privacy Economy Work for You. He advises governments on data-related issues, helping guide the global conversation on the perils and promise of the digital future. As a dynamic and trenchant public speaker, Dr. Weigend enlivens conferences and corporate events worldwide with his expertise. His presentations provide both a clear-eyed analysis of data's commercial power and a critical framework for its ethical application. He provides executives with a roadmap for understanding how technology is shaping our lives and how their organizations can use social data to not just drive commercial success but also to empower consumers.
