John Horton

John Horton is a co-founder of Expected Parrot, a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on building research-backed tools for advancing computational social science.24 He is also an Associate Professor with tenure at the MIT Sloan School of Management.1

Academic Background

Horton holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University, which he completed between 2006 and 2011.1 His doctoral dissertation was titled "Online Labor Markets." Prior to his graduate studies, he earned a BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.1

Professional Experience

Academic Career

• Associate Professor (with tenure) at MIT Sloan School of Management (July 2023 - Present)1
• Previously held positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at MIT Sloan (June 2019 - August 2023)1
• Served as an Assistant Professor at NYU Stern School of Business (2013 - June 2019)1

Industry Experience

• Consulting Researcher at Microsoft (May 2023 - Present)1
• Briefly worked as a Visiting Economist at Uber (June 2015 - August 2015)1
• Served as a Staff Economist at oDesk (February 2011 - August 2013)1

Military Service

Horton served in the US Army as a Tank Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer from June 2001 to June 2006.1

Research and Entrepreneurship

As a co-founder of Expected Parrot, Horton is involved in developing AI-powered research tools.4 His work focuses on using large language models for social science applications, including simulating surveys, experiments, and other empirical studies.23

Horton has published research on automated social science, exploring how language models can be used as both scientists and subjects in social scientific hypotheses testing.3 His approach involves using structural causal models to generate and test hypotheses in various scenarios such as negotiations, bail hearings, job interviews, and auctions.3

John Horton's unique blend of academic expertise and entrepreneurial spirit positions him at the forefront of applying AI technologies to social science research and market research applications.