The David and Lucile Packard Foundation announced that Kelly Born will transition from her role as director of the Democracy, Rights, and Governance initiative to a new role as Senior Advisor on Artificial Intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developing quickly, with implications across many of the issues the Foundation and its partners work to address. The new role provides dedicated expertise to help the Foundation navigate this changing landscape and make informed decisions about its implications for the Foundation’s work.
“Kelly brings a rare combination of deep tech policy expertise and an understanding of philanthropy. Her leadership will help us better understand the risks and opportunities ahead including policy and governance questions and their implications for our sector.”
“AI is already influencing institutions and systems that determine whether people and communities thrive,” said Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of the Packard Foundation. “Kelly brings a rare combination of deep tech policy expertise and an understanding of philanthropy. Her leadership will help us better understand the risks and opportunities ahead including policy and governance questions and their implications for our sector.”
As Senior Advisor on AI, Born will engage researchers, policymakers, funders, grantee partners, and civil society organizations to bring diverse perspectives into the Foundation’s efforts to understand emerging risks and opportunities and explore where philanthropy might be well positioned to respond to emerging challenges. Born will also work across the Foundation to help staff understand how AI may affect its existing grantmaking strategies and the communities and issues they support.
“The future of AI is not predetermined. The choices we make now about how these technologies are developed, governed, and used will help determine who benefits, who bears the risks, and what kind of society we create,”
“The future of AI is not predetermined. The choices we make now about how these technologies are developed, governed, and used will help determine who benefits, who bears the risks, and what kind of society we create,” said Born. “I’m excited to help the Foundation think through these choices, learn from diverse perspectives, and identify where philanthropy can make a meaningful difference.”
Before joining the Packard Foundation, she served as director of the Cyber Initiative at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and was the founding director of Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center.
As Born transitions into her new role, Ben Chou will continue as interim director of the Democracy, Rights, and Governance initiative while the Foundation recruits a new director. Born will continue to advise the team on strategy implementation and learning during the transition.
