# Craig S. Smith

> Craig S. Smith is an American journalist and the founder, CEO and host of Eye on AI. A former Wall Street Journal and New York Times foreign correspondent and Times China managing director, he turned his attention to artificial intelligence after interviewing Geoffrey Hinton in 2017. His independent podcast and newsletter explore AI research, business and global power.

- **Role:** Founder, CEO and podcast host at Eye on AI
- **Organizations:** Eye on AI, The New York Times (former correspondent and executive), The Wall Street Journal (former correspondent), Pacific Century Group (former senior vice president), National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (former special government employee)
- **From:** Spokane, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Undergraduate degree; English literature and Western philosophy studies, Columbia University, Master’s degree, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
- **Known for:** Founded Eye on AI in 2018., Founded and ran The New York Times’ Chinese-language website., Reported for The New York Times from more than 40 countries.

## Career timeline

- **2000** — Joined The New York Times as Shanghai bureau chief after reporting for The Wall Street Journal.
- **2002** — Moved to Paris for The New York Times.
- **2008** — Joined Richard Li’s financial news venture as executive editor; later became a senior vice president at Pacific Century Group.
- **2011** — Rejoined The New York Times as China managing director.
- **2012** — Launched and ran the Times’ Chinese-language website.
- **2016** — Returned to North America and reported on Canada.
- **2017** — Interviewed Geoffrey Hinton for a Times profile, sparking his focus on AI.
- **2018** — Retired from the Times and founded Eye on AI.
- **2021** — His service as a special government employee at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence ended with the commission in October.

## Achievements

- Founded Eye on AI in 2018.
- Founded and ran The New York Times’ Chinese-language website.
- Reported for The New York Times from more than 40 countries.
- Served as a special government employee at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Continued publishing Eye on AI Weekly Research Watch, including an October 8 edition visible in his Substack archive.
- **2026-08** — Published a Weekly Research Watch edition described as twenty short audio deep-dives into arXiv papers.

## Links

- Website: https://www.eye-on.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-s-smith-58680010
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/craigss
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eyeonai3425
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigspencer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EyeOnAINews/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/craig-s-smith
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23