Alex 'Sandy' Pentland

Alex 'Sandy' Pentland is a Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, where he helped create and direct both the MIT Media Lab and Media Lab Asia in India. He also serves as a HAI Fellow at Stanford University. Pentland is one of the most-cited computational scientists globally and was named by Forbes as one of the '7 most powerful data scientists in the world.'

Pentland's educational background includes undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and psychology from MIT. His research spans computational social science, organizational engineering, wearable computing (including Google Glass), image understanding, and modern biometrics.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of AI and social systems, with emphasis on human-AI coevolution, data ethics, network science, and the societal implications of digital technologies. His work increasingly addresses critical issues in data privacy, tokenized asset networks, and the social contract in the age of big data, demonstrating his continued leadership in shaping how society understands and manages digital transformation.

• MIT's Toshiba endowed chair
• Election to the U.S. Academy of Engineering
• McKinsey Award from Harvard Business Review
• 40th Anniversary of the Internet from DARPA
• Brandeis Award for work in privacy

Pentland has advised over 80 PhD students, with nearly half now tenured faculty at leading institutions, a quarter leading industry research groups, and the remainder founding their own companies. His research has attracted significant funding, evidenced by projects like the DARPA Network Challenge where his team won by applying data-driven approaches to crowd coordination. His work on 'reality mining' has led to practical applications in call centers, mental health services, and urban planning.

As director of the Human Dynamics group at MIT, Pentland has pioneered sociometric sensors and reality mining techniques. His lab has incubated numerous companies including Ginger.io (mental health services), CogitoCorp.com (AI coaching), Wise Systems (delivery optimization), Sila Money (financial technology), and several others focused on data privacy and AI applications across various sectors.