Taylor Black
Taylor Black is Founding Director, Leonum Institute | Research Assistant Professor Computer Science & Business at The Catholic University of America. Taylor is Affiliate Instructor, Technology Commercialization (ENTRE 541) at UW Foster School of Business. Taylor is Venture Partner at Conduit Venture Labs and Managing General Partner at Fizzy Ventures. Taylor is Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems, Strategic Programs & Communities Team at Microsoft. Taylor is Strategic Advisor at Treehouse Studios.
Microsoft’s Taylor Black Discusses AI’s Cultural, Ethical, and Global Impacts with Christopher Gunty
Christopher Gunty interviews Taylor Black of Microsoft about AI’s rapid development, its cultural and ethical impacts from a Catholic perspective, and how AI affects human dignity, sustainability, inequality, and relationships.
Microsoft AI Director Taylor Black: Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica humanitas Offers Critical Anthropology for AI Development
Taylor Black, Microsoft’s Director of AI and Venture Ecosystems, says Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas provides valuable anthropological insight for AI developers designing systems that interact intimately with people, warning that ignoring religion risks missing how users think. Black, who also directs the Leonum Institute and serves as a deacon, argues AI lacks an inherent anthropology and that designers should ground products in a strong understanding of human persons.
Taylor Black, Microsoft Senior, Advocates Moral Formation to Guide Superintelligent AI
Taylor Black, a devout Catholic, philosopher, and senior Microsoft figure, argues that superintelligent AI can benefit humanity if guided by well-formed people shaped by moral and cognitive formation. He leads a new research institute at The Catholic University of America to prepare students to compete and innovate responsibly in an AI-augmented world.
Taylor Black on Reconciling Trump’s Federal AI Order with Pope Leo’s Human-Centered Vision
Taylor Black discusses whether President Trump’s executive order pushing a unified federal AI framework that prioritizes 'freedom to innovate' can be reconciled with Catholic social teaching’s human-centered call for ethical guardrails to prevent AI harms.
Founder Institute Relaunches Seattle Accelerator with Local Leadership and In-Person Programs Starting March 2024
Founder Institute is relaunching its Seattle chapter with local leadership led by tech veteran Aniket Naravanekar to revive in-person mentorship, events, and funding opportunities for startups. The first new cohort starts in March, with a launch event scheduled for December 12.
Catholic University names Microsoft AI executive Taylor Black founding director of new AI and emerging technologies institute
Catholic University has named Microsoft AI leader Taylor Black as founding director of a new interdisciplinary institute focused on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, signaling a major academic-industry collaboration on AI research and education.
Organizations
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The Catholic University of America Founding Director, Leonum Institute | Research Assistant Professor Computer Science & Business 2025–present · current
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Treehouse Studios Strategic Advisor 2024–present · current
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UW Foster School of Business Affiliate Instructor, Technology Commercialization (ENTRE 541) 2024–present · current
Education
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Boston College Law School JD, Internet Law, Media Law, Emerging Businesses
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Boston College MA, Philosophy, focusing in Cognitional Theory
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Gonzaga University BA, Philosophy, Classics, History, Business, Biochemistry, Entrepreneurship
