About Fairness and equality in technology policy course
More than ever, technology is shaping and being shaped by public policy. This has enormous impact, especially on marginalized communities. Artificial intelligence and computer algorithms, which are increasingly driving government and industry decisions—from distributing social services to hiring—reflect and reinforce social biases against women, people of color, people with disabilities, and more. Global climate change is disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries and historically disadvantaged communities of color in the United States. Communities are increasingly concerned that they are not benefiting from public research funding and that new technologies are inadequately regulated. The intersection of technology, policy, and equity raises critical questions for scientists, technologists, and leaders in public policy, civil society, and industry. How can technology be created, deployed, and regulated more equitably? How can technology and related policies better incorporate the concerns of marginalized communities? How should community knowledge and concerns be integrated with technical expertise and scientific evidence when developing public policy?
This course aims to help students understand how inequality and injustice can be embedded in technology, science, and related policies, and how this can be addressed. Combining real-world examples with research, this course will introduce students to these issues and provide tools to address them. You will learn: - The landscape of technology policy-making - How technology and related policies reflect and reinforce social values, biases, and policies - The power and limitations of technology in solving social problems - New ways of thinking about "experts" and "the public" - The politics of innovation policy The course is designed for people with a variety of professional, advocacy, and academic backgrounds. No scientific, technical, or policy background is required.
