I research the economic and political implications of digital technologies at the Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge.
Before that I was employee number one at a fintech unicorn. I write about technology for people who prefer evidence to hype.
Read my writing · About me · Good Data, the book
Recent
Growth, degrowth, and green growth
Bennett School of Public Policy, March 2026
Degrowth polls well with the public, but most economists think it’s ridiculous. Perhaps it’s time to meet people where they are.
Generative AI and Scientific Creativity
White paper with Dr Steven Wooding, Villum Fonden, 2026
Could AI hallucinations help scientists overcome creative block?
“Should I worry about how much water my AI chatbot is using?”
Quoted in The Independent, February 2026
My view: the per-prompt numbers are probably overstated; what matters is how data centres affect the places they are built.
Emerging Research Leaders and Research Assessment Reform
White paper with Dr Steven Wooding, Villum Foundation, December 2025
Early-career research leaders think reforming research assessment is important — but they only give it a 50/50 chance of happening.
Should the government repeal the Online Safety Act?
Bennett School of Public Policy, September 2025
There is something to the criticisms of the Online Safety Act, but repealing it is still a bad idea.
Writing
Generative AI and public policy
How AI changes firms and markets, and what policymakers should do about it. See all →
AI and scientific research
What generative AI does to research practice, funding and assessment. See all →
Big tech: power, legitimacy, and regulation
A realist alternative to the “surveillance capitalism” framing of tech companies’ power. See all →
Good Data
Good Data: An Optimist’s Guide to Our Digital Future (Hachette, 2021) argues that the panic about tech companies’ use of data is disproportionate — and that focusing too much on privacy rights entrenches their power and neglects more serious digital harms.
An FT Business Book of the Month. “A breath of fresh air, an invigorating blast of common sense.” — Diane Coyle, University of Cambridge
Bookshop.org · Waterstones · Saxo · Audiobook
About
I’m an affiliated researcher at the Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge. Currently I work on the economic implications of generative AI and the political legitimacy of big tech companies.
Before that I spent nearly two decades in industry. I was employee number one and chief marketing officer at ManyPets, the pet insurance company that became a fintech unicorn. Before that, I was head of strategy and development at Experian and head of consumer finance at Santander. I also sit on the board of the Danish non-profit Data for Good Foundation. I live in Copenhagen.
Stay in touch
I send newsletters a few times a year — research, essays, and things I’ve been reading. There’s no spam, no schedule, and it’s easy to unsubscribe.
Common questions about data: Facebook · Google · Data protection and GDPR · Data science · Data ethics
Sam Gilbert // Good Data 