Wiggins Takes on New Leadership and Research Roles in AI

CNN has hired longtime New York Times chief data scientist Chris Wiggins, as its new head of machine learning and AI science, a newly created role designed to strengthen the network’s digital transformation strategy. Wiggins, who spent more than a decade leading AI and data initiatives at the Times, will oversee a unified team of engineers and data scientists focused on using artificial intelligence to grow advertising and subscription revenue, personalize user experiences, and support editorial decision-making with advanced data tools.

Additionally, Wiggins has been appointed Adviser to the Dean for AI Strategy at Columbia College, where he will work closely with Dean Sorrett to advance AI strategy and policy initiatives across the College. The appointment reflects Columbia's growing commitment to shaping the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in education and research.

Wiggins has also been named a Visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh for the 2026–2029 term. Based in the School of Social and Political Science, he will collaborate with Donald MacKenzie and other colleagues on research exploring the intersection of AI, economics, and sociology. As part of this work, Wiggins will serve as international project co-lead on an ESRC-funded research initiative examining “Foundation Models, the Agentic Economy and the Material Sociology of AI.”

Together, these appointments underscore Wiggins's leadership in interdisciplinary AI research and align with APAM's expanding emphasis on collaboration across fields, as well as Columbia's broader AI initiatives.

Wiggins is an associate professor in the APAM Department and a founding member of the university’s Data Science Institute, with additional affiliations in systems biology and statistics. He is also co-founder of hackNY, a nonprofit supporting student innovation and startup internships in New York City. A Fellow of the American Physical Society and recipient of Columbia’s Avanessians Diversity Award, Wiggins is the co-author of the books “How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms” and “Data Science in Context: Foundations, Challenges, Opportunities,” the latter earning the 2024 Prose Award in Computing and Information Sciences.