Roberta Leonie Claude Fischli

Bio

Roberta Fischli is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University. Her research focuses on the social and political impact of artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on how novel AI systems can promote personal freedom and democracy.

Roberta was previously a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google, where she worked on AI agents and value alignment. Previous research appointments include the University of California Berkeley, Georgetown University, and the University of St. Gallen. She is a research affiliate at the Machine Intelligence and Normative Theory (MINT) Lab at Australian National University, led by Seth Lazar.

Roberta holds a PhD (summa cum laude) in International Affairs and Political Economy from the University of St. Gallen. Her dissertation monograph "Freedom after Algorithms" investigates the changing role of freedom in the digital age. Her research has appeared in Perspectives on Politics, the European Journal of Political Theory, and History of Political Thought, among others. Roberta also works as a freelance journalist.

Honors & Awards

• Postdoctoral Mobility Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation (2025 - 2027)
• DIA prize 2025 for the best dissertation, DIA Program Committee (International Affairs and Political Economy), University of St. Gallen (2024 - 2025)
• Mobi.Doc, University of St. Gallen (2022 - 2022)

Professional Education

• PhD, University of St. Gallen, International Affairs and Political Economy (2024)
• MA, University of Zurich, Political Economy and Philosophy (2018)
• BA, University of Zurich, Political Science and Modern History (2013)

Stanford Advisors

• Rob Reich, Postdoctoral Faculty Sponsor