Public Interest Technology

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Over the past 20 years or so, a surge of work at the nexus of technology and the public good has emerged across industries, disciplines, and borders, stretching from the grassroots to the grasstops. As intrepid teams and enterprising people explored how to leverage the upside potential of technology for social impact, and others pursued an understanding of risk and harm, a new field of work and study emerged: Public Interest Technology. This class will introduce and explore the field of Public Interest Technology, diving into 4 key components of the work: Digital Fundamentals - the basics of technology from a purely technical and operational perspective; Tech in Government - how technology can make the government work/deliver better outcomes to the public; Government in Tech - how governments engage with the technology industry, especially in terms of regulating/managing tech; and Tech + the Common Good - the relationship between technology and the common good, largely in the activism / advocacy arena. The course will include some speakers with a depth of first-hand experience in each of 4 components, and will also explore what career pathways look like in Public Interest Technology.