Avital Balwit

Biography

Avital Balwit received a BA in Political and Social Thought with distinction from the University of Virginia. Her thesis addressed the regulatory challenges posed by the major US technology companies in the areas of antitrust, privacy, taxation, and attention. She has published multiple short stories and poems, and won The Atlantic's 2020 poetry contest. Her children's book on octopus cognition will be published by Pop Up UK in Spring 2021. Avital has worked as a legislative intern for Senator Wyden's office, researching technology policy and helping constituents navigate the upheavals of the pandemic. She also practices shotokan karate. At Oxford, she will study philosophy and collaborate with the Global Priorities and Future of Humanity Institutes to research existential risks and the theory of long termism. She aims to work in government and diplomacy, hoping to help countries integrate technology and democracy, foster better international collaboration, fund public goods, and ensure the long term survival of life on earth.