John Bailey is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on artificial intelligence (AI), education, workforce, and other innovation issues. He has served in government, philanthropy, and the private sector, where he worked on a range of issues including technology, immigration, the future of work, and economic mobility.  

Mr. Bailey has spent his career working across sectors to leverage the benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing the risks. He serves as a member of Virginia’s AI Taskforce for Gov. Youngkin and regularly briefs members of Congress, state policymakers, and business leaders on the impact and potential of AI. He actively participates in early access and alignment initiatives for several leading generative AI model providers. The Washingtonian has named John one of Washington’s Most Influential People in policy for three consecutive years (2022-2024), including in the area of technology and AI policy.  

His government service includes being special assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House and deputy policy director to the US secretary of commerce, during which time he worked on policies related to American competitiveness and comprehensive immigration reform. Earlier, he served as director of educational technology at the US Department of Education and as vice president for policy for Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education.  

Mr. Bailey is a Pahara-Aspen Institute Fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and an alumnus of the American Council on Germany Young Leaders Program. He serves on the boards of directors of Zearn Math, the Federation of American Scientists, American Policy Ventures, and US Digital Response. He also serves on advisory boards for Trustible, the XPRIZE, and the Tech Talent Project. He has also served as an adviser to four presidential campaigns.  

Mr. Bailey has a BA in international policy studies from Dickinson College and attended Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.  

Back to Featured Speakers >>