Robert Seamans
Profile
Robert Seamans is a Professor of Management at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he teaches courses in game theory, strategy, and the economics of artificial intelligence. His research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions, and on the broader economic and societal consequences of AI, robotics, and automation.
He is also the Director of the Center for the Future of Management at NYU Stern and a recognized expert on technology strategy, innovation, and the future of work. His research has been published in leading academic journals and widely cited by major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Atlantic.
Academic and Professional Career
Professor Seamans has been a member of the NYU Stern faculty since 2009, where he has taught across undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and specialized master’s programs. His courses cover Game Theory, Strategic Management, and AI & Risk Management, combining theoretical rigor with real-world application.
From 2015 to 2016, he served as Senior Economist for Technology and Innovation on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, where he worked on national policy related to automation, innovation, and competitiveness.
He currently serves on the Thought Leadership Advisory Council at Accenture Research, is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and contributes to the Productivity Measurement Initiative at Brookings. He has also been affiliated with the Center for Democracy & Technology and Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy.
Research and Publications
Professor Seamans’ research examines how emerging technologies—such as AI, robotics, and data-driven systems—transform industries, labor markets, and firm strategy. His academic publications appear in top-tier journals including the Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Discoveries, Research Policy, and Communications of the ACM.
Selected publications include:
“Occupational Heterogeneity in Exposure to Generative AI” (Communications of the ACM, 2024)
“Pain or Anxiety? The Health Consequence of Robot Adoption in China” (Economics Letters, 2024)
“Technological Opportunity and the Locus of Innovation: Airmail, Aircraft, and Local Capabilities” (Strategic Management Journal, 2024)
“Capturing Value from Artificial Intelligence” (Academy of Management Discoveries, 2023)
“Discrimination in Lending? Evidence from the Paycheck Protection Program” (Small Business Economics, 2022)
“The Role of Data for AI Startup Growth” (Research Policy, 2022)
“Occupational, Industry, and Geographic Exposure to Artificial Intelligence” (Strategic Management Journal, 2021)
He has also co-authored multiple forthcoming works, including “Transaction Cost Economics in the Digital Economy” (Strategic Organization, forthcoming 2025), and “The Characteristics and Geographic Distribution of Robot Hubs in U.S. Manufacturing Establishments” (AEA Papers & Proceedings, 2025).
Teaching
At NYU Stern, Professor Seamans has developed and taught a wide array of courses such as:
Game Theory (MBA, Executive MBA, and Undergraduate programs)
Strategic Management of AI
AI and Risk Management
Data-Driven Decision Making
Corporate Strategy and Competitive Strategy
He has created over a dozen original business mini-cases used in instruction, including analyses of Disney, Marvel, 5-Hour Energy, and Johnson & Johnson’s Credo, which explore strategic decision-making through technology and ethics.
Grants and Fellowships
Professor Seamans’ research has been supported by major foundations and institutions, including:
Smith Richardson Foundation – AI and the Future of Work (2024, $400,000)
Tides Foundation (Google.org) – Economics of AI Research (2019, $250,000)
National Science Foundation (NSF) – Robotics Research (2017, $100,738)
Kauffman Foundation – Entrepreneurship and Robotics Research (2013–2017)
William & Flora Hewlett Foundation – Economics of Robotics (2017)
NBER Innovation Policy Research Grant (2017)
Awards and Recognition
Professor Seamans’ work has received numerous awards for its impact and innovation, including:
Runner-up, Best Paper Award, Israel Strategy Conference (2022)
Nominated for Best Paper, Strategic Management Society (2017)
Runner-up, Best Paper Published in Management Science (2015)
Best Paper for Practice Implications, Strategic Management Society (2013)
BPS Distinguished Paper Award, Academy of Management (2013)
Kauffman Firm Survey Best Paper Award, Strategic Management Society (2011)
Best Dissertation in Competition Policy, UC Berkeley (2010)
His papers have also been featured in Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings (2013, 2015, 2018).
Education
Ph.D. Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley
M.A. Economics, Boston University
M.B.A. Business, Yale University
B.A. English, Reed College
Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence • Robotics • Innovation • Entrepreneurship • Game Theory • Strategy • Technology and Society
Positions and Affiliations
Professor of Management, NYU Stern School of Business (2009–Present)
Senior Economist for Technology and Innovation, White House Council of Economic Advisers (2015–2016)
Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution (2022–Present)
Thought Leadership Advisory Council, Accenture Research (2020–Present)
Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Democracy & Technology (2022–2023)
Affiliate, Princeton University Center for Information Technology Policy (2018–2019)
Areas of Expertise
Artificial Intelligence and Society • Robotics and Automation • Technology Strategy • Innovation and Entrepreneurship • Game Theory • Digital Economy