Award-Winning Author and Leading Scholar on the Digital Economy and the European Union
Anu Bradford is a leading scholar and an award-winning author of bestselling books on the digital economy and the European Union. Her talks are rich with powerful insights, helping organizations decode the digital future and offering audiences new ways to think about big geopolitical shifts around technology.
Anu Bradford is a leading voice and sought-after commentator on the European Union’s regulatory power and the global digital economy. Bradford’s award-winning, bestselling books have made her a sought-after keynote speaker whose research and public commentary are regularly featured in top international news outlets, including The Economist, Foreign Affairs, The Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Bradford is the author of The Brussels Effect: How the European Union Rules the World (2020), which was named one of the best books of 2020 by Foreign Affairs, with Andrew Moravcsik of Princeton University writing that The Brussels Effect “may well be the single most important book on Europe’s global influence to appear in a decade.” The Brussels Effect has shaped public discourse on the EU and garnered extensive media attention.
Bradford’s newest book, Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology was recognized as one of the best books of 2023 by Financial Times. Digital Empires has made Bradford an acclaimed voice in conversations about the digital economy, geopolitics of artificial intelligence, US-China tech wars, and European digital sovereignty.
Bradford is a Professor at Columbia Law School. She grew up in Finland and earned her doctorate at Harvard Law School. Bradford lives today in New York City with her husband and three children.
Anu Bradford on Globalization and The Supply Chain
Anu Bradford on Adapting to Change
Anu Bradford on Global Trade
Anu Bradford on the Global AI Race
Anu Bradford on Technology Regulations
Anu Bradford on Conflicts Between US and China
Anu Bradford on European Innovation
Anu Bradford’s Speech Topics
Remaking the Global Economic Order: How to Navigate the Storm?
Today, global companies are facing unprecedented geopolitical upheaval. We have entered a new era of deglobalization where roiling trade and technology wars are remaking the global economic order. We are witnessing the decoupling of the digital economy, the rupturing of the Transatlantic alliance, and the unraveling of global supply chains. Governments are retreating into protectionism and techno-nationalism as concerns over national security and self-sufficiency are replacing their commitment to global cooperation and economic openness. In her keynote, Anu Bradford will help make sense of these developments, giving governments and companies tools to navigate the challenges ahead.
Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology
The global battle among the three dominant digital powers — the United States, China, and the European Union — is intensifying. All three regimes are racing to regulate tech companies, with each advancing a competing vision for the digital economy while attempting to expand its sphere of influence in the digital world. In her talk based on her award-winning book Digital Empires, Anu Bradford explores a rivalry that will shape the world in the decades to come. She examines the choices we face as companies, societies, and individuals, explains the forces that shape those choices, and illuminates the immense stakes involved for everyone who uses digital technologies.
The Contest for AI Supremacy: The Winner Doesn’t Take All
The race over technological supremacy in the age of artificial intelligence is intensifying as tech companies and governments are racing to seize opportunities that the AI revolution presents. This AI race is often viewed as a two-way contest between the leading technological and economic superpowers — the United States and China — whereas the rest of the world is seen as being at the mercy of this great power rivalry. Anu Bradford identifies the winners and losers in this race, while explaining why no single country will be able to claim a complete victory in the near future. However, the pursuit of that elusive victory is dramatically shaping AI development and the global digital economy.
What other organizations say about Anu Bradford
Anu brings a uniquely global perspective to the AI conversation. She highlighted how technology is developing and being regulated across the U.S., China, and Europe, weaving in insights that few others can offer. Her delivery was polished and engaging—she commanded the room in a challenging setup and used powerful imagery-driven slides to reinforce her message. While she began with an academic tone, she quickly brought in stories and examples that made the session both insightful and approachable.