Big Tech Democracy

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate

Commercial technology is rapidly advancing and evolving—and in increasingly shorter iterative cycles. The interactions of disruptive technologies and tech companies with public, private and civic actors, are changing as well. We are living through the first generation of policymaking faced with an urgent need to understand the right balance between innovative technology and responsible regulatory and market frameworks. Our framework for this exploration is based on three “adoption curves” of disruptive technology: cultural, regulatory and actuarial. We will explore the ways in which such disruptive innovation impacts policymaking and the evolution of our democracy. Over this 7-week module we will explore—at a high level—some of the challenges, opportunities, and policy implications created by the exponential growth of technologies and tech companies. We will examine how they are transforming our businesses, government, politics and lives in society. And we will debate new ways in which to think about the role of policy in this time of fast-paced innovation.