Eric Sears leads the Technology in the Public Interest program. This grantmaking seeks to advance equity, justice, and other public interest considerations by strengthening an ecosystem of people, organizations, and networks examining and addressing the social impacts of technology. Central to this work is supporting the advancement of interdisciplinary research, policy, and practice that centers public interest considerations in the design and governance of artificial intelligence.
Prior to launching the Technology in the Public Interest program, Eric was Senior Program Officer at MacArthur and managed a grantmaking portfolio at the intersection of human rights and technology. He has previously worked at Human Rights First in New York City and Amnesty International USA in Washington, D.C., where he headed a variety of research and advocacy initiatives. While at Amnesty, Eric launched and managed the organization’s campaign aimed at reforming U.S. counterterrorism policies and helped establish the organization’s Crisis Prevention and Response program. He helped create the Partnership on AI, a nonprofit multi-stakeholder organization seeking to advance AI in a way that benefits people and society, and served as the organization’s Vice Chair of the Board of Directors from 2017-2024.
Eric received his Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University.
