Ben is a DPhil student in International Relations at the University of Oxford's Department of Politics and International Relations. Ben studies the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to trigger a world war and how to prevent that from happening. His work focuses on the theory and history of political negotiations that take place in the shadow of violence.

Ben spent a decade in Silicon Valley as a software engineer and engineering manager. His transition to studying the nexus of AI and international relations was primarily due to a growing understanding that a) controlling AI will probably become extraordinarily difficult as it becomes more powerful and b) the unchecked pursuit of transformative technologies like AI has the potential to upend the global order, potentially triggering even nuclear war.

He holds degrees in computer science, mathematics, physics, and psychology as well as a Master’s degree in physics. His honours work in computer science focused on parallel computing, while his honours in physics focused on nuclear physics. His Master's thesis examined the physics of semiconductors.