This lecture class will examine the relationship between technology and the public interest, answering questions like: what is public interest? How do technical and engineering choices translate into outcomes for democracy, economy, the law, and social wellbeing? What role do technologists have in advancing the public interest, and what skills do they need to develop to do this effectively? What are the ways to become a public interest technologist?
Through readings and in-class discussions, students will learn to analyze the impact of technologies; how regulation works in the context of technology; the history and future of the computing profession (especially as it relates to AI); and more. The course will help students understand that technology is not neutral, and that as technologists, we can – and have the responsibility to – steer the technologies we build in the public interest.
- Kursleiter/in: Asia Biega
- Kursleiter/in: Abraham Mhaidli