External Event: Robert D. Klein University Lecturer for 2026
Info copied from external even website:
Announcing the 62nd Annual Robert D. Klein Lecturer
Koen Pauwels
Tuesday, March 24 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. EDT
John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute
Cabral Center, 40 Leon St, Boston, MA 02115 and via livestream
For those joining us in Boston, there will be an in-person reception to follow.
The AI Authenticity Paradox: Why Machines Are Making Us More Human
As artificial intelligence becomes better at mimicking human communication, we’re simultaneously experiencing a crisis of trust and an explosion of demand for authenticity. This paradox isn’t confined to business; it’s reshaping how we evaluate everything from political candidates to medical advice, from romantic partners on dating apps to professors in classrooms. Drawing on two decades of research measuring human behavior in digital environments, this lecture explores why AI’s rise is paradoxically making us more attuned to what’s genuinely human. When AI can generate perfect prose, flawless images, or millions of bot followers, the messy, imperfect signals of authentic human effort become valuable. Through examples such as the 2016 political misinformation crisis, health influencer wellness advice, Amazon’s authenticity problem, and AI-generated academic research, this lecture examines how individuals and institutions are developing new “authenticity detection” skills and what this means for education, work, and society.
Koen Pauwels is the Associate Dean of Research and Distinguished Professor of Marketing at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. Formerly, he was Principal Research Scientist at Amazon Ads, with brand building and budget allocation recommendations reaching hundreds of thousands of advertisers. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA, where he was designated a Top 100 Inspirational Alumnus. Named a worldwide top 2% scientist, and “The Best Marketing Academic on the Planet,” Professor Pauwels has published over 100 articles on marketing effectiveness. He is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Research in Marketing, and has served as the president of the American Marketing Association’s Academic Council and the Vice President for Practice at INFORMS. His books include Modeling Markets, Break the Wall: Why and How to Democratize Digital in Your Business, and It’s Not the Size of the Data – It’s How You Use It: Smarter Marketing with Analytics and Dashboards. Professor Pauwels joined Northeastern in 2017.
The Klein University Lecturer Award
Established in 1964, upon the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, the Klein University Lecturer Award honors a member of the faculty who has contributed with distinction to their field of study. The Klein University Lecture enables faculty members to share the fruits of their scholarship with the university community and the general public. In 1979, the award was renamed in tribute to the late Robert D. Klein, professor of mathematics, chair of the Faculty Senate Agenda Committee, and vice chair of the Faculty Senate. Learn more about past winners.