governance of technology and governance through technology
Github Username: hughjones
Political and Social Thought, Class of 2021
I’ve long believed in the power of technology to transform society for the better, although for many years I believed that technology alone would be enough. In hindsight, such a view was naive and dangerous. Much of my interest today is rooted in leveraging the very best technology has to offer us in an intentional, thoughtful manner while mitigating negative side effects, all in the interest of the public good. With all this in mind, I’m very excited for this semester of Gov Lab!
It’s the (Democracy-Poisoning) Golden Age of Free Speech
Media Justification: This is a thoughtful piece by one of my favorite (self-declared) techno-sociologists, Zeynep Tufekci. In it, Tufekci identifies a number of fallacious assumptions made by the architects of our digital world and the manner in which each has yielded the opposite of the utopia we were promised such tools would achieve. In her own words, we have learned that “when free speech is treated as an end and not a means, it is all too possible to thwart and distort everything it is supposed to deliver.”
Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative
Media Justification: I had the privilege of working at the Berkman Klein Center the summer before last on their burgeoning “Ethics and Governance of AI” initiative. Throughout the summer, we examined a plethora of different use cases for contemporary artificial intelligence techniques/practices and considered how such technologies can be harnessed in support of the public interest. I wanted to share this link with our class because it is an aggregate overview of the initiative and the various projects and discussions that have emerged from it.
Zittrain and Zuckerberg discuss encryption, ‘information fiduciaries’ and targeted advertisements
Media justification: In this fascinating (albeit lengthy) video, Jonathan Zittrain of the Berkman Klein Center and Mark Zuckerberg discuss some of the most fundamental challenges facing both Facebook as a company and society at large at the present moment. Of the issues discussed, the two cover various approaches and proposals for regulatory practices (either enforced by the company itself or by an external legislative body) which could benefit the company and the communities it is intended to serve.
Why Journalists Shouldn’t Fear Europe’s ‘Right to be Forgotten’
Media justification: A fascinating piece published in the Atlantic on the day in 2012 during which the Right to be Forgotten was passed into E.U. law. Looks specifically into the implications of the legislation for journalism, which was (and remains) a significant concern. Interesting to see the dimensions of the discussion which remain highly relevant and those which have shifted since the legislation’s inception.