About

As Director of Policy, Delivery & Customer Success at the Responsible AI Institute, Var advises organizations on how to govern AI systems in alignment with global AI laws, principles, and best practices. He is a Co-Instructor, along with Alexis Cook, of Kaggle’s AI Ethics course. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Var previously practiced law at Cravath and worked on the Clinton Global Initiative.

Responsible AI Institute

The Responsible AI Institute develops certification programs for AI systems, advises companies and policymakers on AI issues, and works closely with partners in civil society, academia, and industry. ​Its members include Amazon Web Services, Boston Consulting Group, IBM, Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), Jackson Financial, AltaML, Yum! Brands, ATB Financial, The AI Responsibility Lab, Armilla, SkyHive, Fairly AI, CalypsoAI, and CareRev. Read the Responsible AI Institute's white paper to learn more. ​

Recent Articles

• What to Expect from Biden on AI, Responsible AI Institute, November 16, 2022
• This underestimated tool could make AI innovation safer, World Economic Forum Agenda, August 5, 2022
• A Risk-Based Approach to AI Procurement, University of Pennsylvania Regulatory Review, July 11, 2022
• A framework to navigate the emerging regulatory landscape for AI, OECD Policy Wonk, May 4, 2022
• America's Approach to Governing AI, Responsible AI Institute, January 10, 2022

Recent Talks

Kaggle Course

Kaggle's Intro to AI Ethics course was co-developed by Var Shankar and Alexis Cook from 2020 to 2021.

1: Intro to AI Ethics - Tutorial
2: Human Centered Design for AI - Tutorial, Exercise
3: Identifying Bias in AI - Tutorial, Exercise
4: AI Fairness - Tutorial, Exercise
5: Model Cards - ​Tutorial, Exercise