Klara Jelinkova, vice president and university chief information officer at Harvard University, is spearheading the development of an institution-wide infrastructure to support generative artificial intelligence. Her work aims to provide resources for staff, students, and faculty who are both using and studying AI technologies.
Jelinkova views Harvard as an intellectual community where individuals are actively engaged with emerging technologies. Her role involves creating an environment that encourages safe experimentation as the community tests the capabilities of AI and analyzes its societal impacts. To achieve this, she has implemented a flexible architecture that offers a variety of tools while maintaining governance over privacy, security, and intellectual property.
So far, the Harvard community has developed over 800 AI applications. Jelinkova finds that disconnecting from the demands of her role, often through solo hikes in natural settings like Mount Rainier, helps her to develop new ideas and approaches. She describes the CIO position as inherently stressful, emphasizing the need for time to detach and reset one's thinking.
Jelinkova has been recognized as one of the leaders shaping the future of technology on the 2026 TIME Executives of the Year: Tech and Data list.