David Tomchak is an award-winning Chief Digital Officer and editor. In 2017 David founded Cogency, initially called the AI In Media (AIIM) Working Group, which is a loose coalition of media and technology professional and academics whose goal is to develop the opportunities that AI, decentralised data storage, quantum and other ground-breaking technologies present to content makers. In 2019 David and his team began working on AI solutions for publishers in audio, which is when he was introduced to the Oxford Internet Institute.
Having started his career training as a developer at JPMorgan in 2000, David went on to build infrastructure, systems and strategies across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In 2012 David founded the mobile video news business Vizibee, in 2015 he was appointed Head of Digital and Deputy Director for Number 10 and the Cabinet Office in the UK and he has served at board level for a variety of organisations.
During his career David spent over 15 years in senior roles in media including at the BBC and Evening Standard. As an editorial leader David’s awards include the Drum Grand Prix. He went on to chair the judging panel of The Drum Online Media Awards in 2020.
In 2023 David joined the International Institute for Strategic Studies where he leads the technology, communications, publishing and design teams.
David has worked on several projects while at the OII including co-authoring a paper for the European Commission entitled “Opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence technologies for the cultural and creative sectors” and running a decentralised data storage pilot for media organisations, which produced a white paper outlining the pilot’s findings in 2022.
AI enabled content creation and the use of data in publishing and associated bias.
DemTech investigates the use of algorithms, automation, and computational propaganda in public life.
10 June 2020
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII), part of the University of Oxford, has appointed David Tomchak as a Visiting Policy Fellow, joining the Department in June 2020.
