Robb Willer is Professor of Sociology and (by courtesy) Psychology and Organizational Behavior at Stanford University, where he directs the Politics and Social Change Lab and the AI for Public Benefit Lab and co-directs the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.
A sociologist and social psychologist, he studies how political communication, social norms, institutions, and emerging technologies shape democratic life. His work focuses on strengthening democracy, understanding social change, and developing AI tools that benefit the public. Working across sociology, social psychology, political science, organizational behavior, and cognitive science, Willer combines experimental and computational methods to identify interventions that can improve political discourse, civic engagement, and collective well-being. His work has informed debates on democratic reform, social movements, persuasion, and the governance of AI, and he has collaborated with a range of public, philanthropic, civic, and political organizations to translate research into practice.