Washington Post taps Harwell to cover AI and big data

Washington Post national economy and business editor David Cho and deputy business editor Zachary Goldfarb sent out the following announcement on Monday: 

We are excited to announce that Drew Harwell will cover the way artificial intelligence and big data are transforming American business and society.

Drew came to The Post from the Tampa Bay Times in 2014 as a general-assignment reporter on the Financial desk, where he broke news about sexual harassment and Hollywood discrimination and wrote memorable stories about the cultural touchstones of big business, from the fake engine roars used to sell more trucks to the economic inequality behind the magic of Disney World.

Since early 2016, he has helped cover the Trump business, family and presidency, contributing chapters to “Trump Revealed” and joining a team dedicated to exploring potential conflicts of interest. He was instrumental in scoopy coverage on Mar-a-Lago and the Secret Service and wrote detailed stories on Donald’s business failures, Donald Jr.’s Twitter defiance, Eric’s jet-setting to Uruguay and Ivanka’s factories around the world.

In his new beat, Drew will explore how the most advanced technologies are changing the way we live, from how companies’ race for our faces, voices and body sizes will reshape modern privacy to how robots are learning to read. His accountability work will delve into the hidden biases of the powerful algorithms defining the winners and losers of the new economy. He also will explain the surprising path AI is taking as it changes fashion, food, entertainment, childhood — and what it means to be alive.