Horton wins two honors
November 1, 2021
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John J. Horton
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John Horton is the Chrysler Associate Professor of Management and an Associate Professor of Information Technologies at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Horton's research focuses on the intersection of labor economics, market design, and information systems. He is particularly interested in improving the efficiency and equity of matching markets.
After completing his PhD and prior to joining NYU Stern School of Business in 2013, he served for two years as the staff economist for oDesk, an online labor market.
Horton received a BS in mathematics from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a PhD in public policy from Harvard University.
Honors
Publications
"Algorithmic Writing Assistance on Jobseekers’ Resumes Increases Hires."
Wiles, Emma, Zanele Munyikwa, and John J. Horton. Management Science. Forthcoming. NBER Preprint. Supplementary Materials.
"Consumer Demand w/ Social Influences: Evidence from an E-commerce Platform."
Caoui, El Hadi, Chiara Farronato, John J. Horton, and Robert Schultz. Management Science. Forthcoming. NBER Preprint.
"Information about vacancy congestion redirects job search."
Fradkin, Andrey, Monica Bhole, and John J. Horton. Management Science. Forthcoming. Postprint.
"Automated Social Science: Language Models as Scientist and Subjects."
Manning, Benjamin S., Kehang Zhu, and John J. Horton, Working Paper. April 2024. arXiv Preprint.
"How Many Americans Work Remotely? A Survey of Surveys and Their Measurement Issues."
Brynjolfsson, Erik, John J. Horton, Christos Makridis, Alexandre Mas,Adam Ozimek, Daniel Rock, and Hong-Yi TuYe, MIT Sloan Working Paper 6937-23. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management, May 2023. NBER Working Paper 31193.
"Large Language Models as Simulated Economic Agents: What Can We Learn from Homo Silicus?"
Horton, John J., Working Paper. January 2023. arXiv Preprint.
Recent Insights
Action Learning
Space, robots, and a new AI frontier
Accenture is a global leader in professional services, with over 700,000 employees and clients across 120 countries. Renowned for its work in strategy, technology, and digital transformation, the firm has recently expanded into the robotics and space technology sectors. As they explore how to use AI to accelerate new products and businesses in these areas, they’re continuing to work with MIT—this past spring, with two teams of students in MIT’s first ever Generative AI (GenAI) Lab course.
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Action Learning
Generative AI to advance human rights
The International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD) is a human rights advocacy organization that equips those most harmed by systemic inequity with the necessary tools to drive systemic change. ICAAD empowers marginalized communities by building their capacity, strengthening their resilience, and fostering innovation. Working with MIT Sloan’s first cohort of Generative AI Lab (GenAI-Lab) students, ICAAD is accelerating its groundbreaking work, helping communities and governments improve the lives of those who need it most.
Aug 11, 2025
Media Highlights
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Portafolio
Looking for a job? The benefits and (many) problems of creating your resume with AI
According to a working paper by associate professor John J. Horton, IDE digital fellow Emma Wiles, and co-author, applicants who used AI tools to improve their resume writing were 8% more likely to be hired and also received 8.4% higher salaries than those who didn't use automated help. "Using algorithmic assistance can help applicants express their skills more effectively and reduce bias or premature judgments based on writing errors," the authors noted.
Press
Bloomberg Línea
AI speeds up job posting but makes it less effective, study reveals
A recent paper by associate professor John Horton and Emma Wiles (PhD '24) found that AI-generated postings tended to be imprecise. Instead of detailing, for example, that they were looking for a programmer with four or more years of experience and knowledge of Python and Julia, the AI often suggested something more vague, such as an ad for "a proactive professional with experience in software engineering."
Press
Bipartisan Policy Center
AI at work: Navigating the next evolution of the labor market
Associate professor John Horton joined this panel of the Bipartisan Policy Center and Anthropic to explore what the public and policy makers should consider as AI becomes more ubiquitous in society.
Press
MIT Technology Review
AI can now create a replica of your personality
"This paper is showing how you can use real humans to generate personas which can then be used programmatically/in-simulation."
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