Mercatus Center Strengthens AI Focus with Addition of Brendan McCord to Board

ARLINGTON, VA. — The Mercatus Center at George Mason University announces the addition of Brendan McCord, founder of the Cosmos Institute and successful AI entrepreneur, to its board of directors, effective February 2025. The appointment reinforces Mercatus' commitment to understanding how artificial intelligence can enhance market-driven prosperity, drawing on McCord's deep expertise across the private sector, government, and academia.

"Mercatus has emerged as a vital voice in examining how markets can guide the development of artificial intelligence to increase human prosperity," said McCord. "Their approach to understanding markets and developing talent has deeply shaped my intellectual foundation. Their pioneering Emergent Ventures program directly inspired our work at Cosmos Ventures, where we're building on their model to support exceptional talent working on artificial intelligence."

McCord's experience spans the full spectrum of AI from technical innovation to policy and philosophical implications. In the private sector, he founded two AI companies which were acquired for a combined $400 million. In government, he established the Department of Defense's first applied AI organization and authored the DoD's inaugural AI strategy. A graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School, McCord also served as a Visiting Fellow at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, where he explored questions at the frontier of AI and philosophy and co-delivers a seminar on the topic.

His deep connection to Mercatus reached a pivotal point when he co-founded the John Stuart Mill Fellowship—a one-year program for entrepreneurs to study the philosophical underpinnings of markets, politics, and society at Mercatus—and became the Center's first Entrepreneur in Residence. This established a multi-faceted partnership with Mercatus that has continued to deepen over the years.

"Brendan's appointment represents a significant step in Mercatus' evolution as we expand our focus on artificial intelligence," said Tyler Cowen, Faculty Director of the Mercatus Center and Chairman of the Board. "His unique combination of technical expertise, policy experience, and philosophical grounding will be invaluable as we develop new research initiatives and programs examining AI's role in shaping markets and society. We're particularly excited about strengthening our work on AI governance, market-based approaches to AI safety, and supporting the next generation of AI researchers and entrepreneurs."

Founded in 1980 at George Mason University, the Mercatus Center builds and supports a vibrant community of scholars dedicated to advancing ideas in the tradition of mainline economics, which emphasizes the role of institutions and markets in creating prosperity. Through developing top talent and supporting leading scholarship, the Mercatus Center aims to strengthen the academic, policy, and civic institutions that enable individuals and communities to thrive in an era of rapid technological change. Learn more about the Mercatus Center at mercatus.org.

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