The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have launched the Stanford and AWS Marketing Science Lab, a new research collaboration focused on advancing AI and machine learning approaches to marketing measurement.
The initiative brings together Stanford HAI, Stanford Data Science, the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and AWS to address challenges in marketing analytics using AI/ML methods. The lab will be led by Guido Imbens, Stanford HAI-SDS Co-Director; Susan Athey, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Wesley Hartmann, Stanford Graduate School of Business; and Jiafeng (Kevin) Chen, Stanford Economics.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the launch, the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) wrote: “Last week, industry and academic AI experts came together at Stanford University to launch the new Stanford and AWS Marketing Science Lab — a collaboration between the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), Stanford Data Science, the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to advance research on marketing measurement and AI/ML.”
The post continued: The goal is to deliver practical, scalable tools for better decision-making, including improved approaches to marketing measurement, new methods for B2B customer journey analysis, and AI-powered causal inference. Outcomes will include published research, open-source code, and prototypes.
A special thank you to Julia White, VP & CMO at AWS, for helping spur this collaboration.”
Focus on causal inference and scalable tools
According to the announcement, the lab’s work will focus on improving marketing measurement techniques and applying AI-powered causal inference to real-world business problems. It will also explore new methods for analyzing B2B customer journeys.
The emphasis on open-source code and prototypes signals an intent to move beyond theoretical research toward practical implementation. For higher education and EdTech researchers, the collaboration reflects a growing trend of AI research partnerships between major cloud providers and academic institutions.
Pedro Sant’Anna, Associate Professor at Emory University and Amazon Scholar, also commented on LinkedIn and wrote: “This makes me very happy!!
Seeing my Amazon Web Services (AWS) org engaging with research and academia like this is truly awesome. It highlights the positive energy, ambition, and future-ready mindset of the team. All while staying deeply curious and keeping business goals front and center.
This partnership will create strong synergies, generate a lot of value, and boost both sides.
Congrats Karolis Urbonas, guido imbens, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and all parts involved!
Now, let’s ship!”
Expanding AI research collaboration models
Stanford HAI describes its mission as advancing human-centered AI research, education, policy, and practice. The organization leverages cross-disciplinary expertise across business, economics, law, medicine, and computer science to guide AI development.
Stanford Data Science focuses on embedding data science research and methods across the university, while the Stanford Graduate School of Business emphasizes leadership and management education.
The new Marketing Science Lab sits at the intersection of these efforts, combining academic research with AWS cloud infrastructure and applied AI capabilities. The partnership reflects a broader pattern in AI development, where academic institutions and cloud providers collaborate to accelerate research, translate findings into tools, and test methods at scale.
For the education sector, the lab highlights how AI research is increasingly tied to applied use cases, including measurement, analytics, and decision support. The outcomes, particularly open-source tools and prototypes, may influence how AI is integrated into business education, analytics curricula, and digital strategy programs.
ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.