June 17, 2026

TPL leaders weigh in on Seattle’s AI use in 911 calls

The Seattle Times

A recent Seattle Times article investigating the Seattle Fire Department’s use of AI has drawn questions from the community, including multiple Tech Policy Lab leaders. SFD has engaged in a partnership with Corti, a Denmark-based AI technology company, to help dispatchers decide which calls need a rapid response and which can be routed to a […]

June 11, 2026

Human vulnerability to ‘cuteness’ could open door for robots, Co-Director opines

The Washington Post

In a recent op-ed in The Washington Post, Co-Director Ryan Calo warns that a new generation of home robots will exploit the human nature of forming bonds with adorable, fluffy things … possibly at the expense of their safety. “House Robots Are Coming—and They Will Be Dangerously Cute” highlights the vulnerabilities that consumers open themselves […]

June 10, 2026

Executive Director named Siegel Fellow

Tech Policy Lab

Tech Policy Lab Executive Director Alex Bolton has been named a Siegel Research Fellow.  The fellowship awarded by Siegel Family Endowment supports individuals who “explore instrumental research questions underpinning our grantmaking while bolstering our in-house research capabilities.” Bolton hosts weekly campus-wide Tech Policy Discussions; co-instructs a Technology Law, Policy and Ethics course; and serves as […]

May 31, 2026

Spring quarter 2026 student and alumni news

Tech Policy Lab

Maria P. Angel will join University of Georgia School of Law as assistant professor in the fall. Maria P. Angel published in the Arizona State Law Journal. Grace Brigham published in Indicator. Pardis Emami-Naeini was named a 2025 Norm Hardy Prize Winner. Rachel Hong presented research at the CS & Law conference. Sereen Kallerackal started […]

Spring quarter international engagement

Tech Policy Lab

During the spring quarter, The Tech Policy Lab hosted scholars from around the world.  French Consulate In April, David Do Paço, the Academic Cooperation Attaché at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, visited the West Coast with Sciences Po professor Mario Del Pero. The visit built on the relationship started when Do Paço came […]

May 30, 2026

Graduating intern builds perspective, community through TPL

Tech Policy Lab

For Vannary Sou, the Tech Policy Lab offered a learning opportunity that surpassed anything she found in a classroom.  “The best thing that I’ve been able to experience while working at the Lab is, honestly, getting to learn from other students at the Lab and from guests,” she said. “Being able to work with a […]

May 26, 2026

TPL alumnus named to 2026 Husky 100

Tech Policy Lab

At the Tech Policy Lab, UW student Andrew Shaw found a home away from home with a community that transcended traditional academic borders. “My undergrad majors were computer science and philosophy, so at that point I was really looking for these third spaces, interdisciplinary spaces,” he said. “The Tech Policy Lab was the first space […]

May 14, 2026

TPL PhD student named a 2026 Apple Scholar in AIML

Tech Policy Lab

TPL PhD student Kyra Wilson has been named a 2026 Apple Scholar in AIML PhD fellowship. The award is “part of Apple’s ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders in machine learning and artificial intelligence.” Wilson, a second year PhD student within the Information School advised by TPL Co-Director Aylin Caliskan, was recognized […]

AI companies distracting with fear-mongering, Faculty Associate says

BBC

AI companies are marketing their products as powerful and potentially problematic to “humanity,” which critics say is a distraction from the harm they’re actually doing. In the BBC article “Why AI companies want you to be afraid of them,” experts say that there may some psychology at play. “It’s just part of this pattern of […]

May 12, 2026

TPL alumna honored with iSchool GOLD Award

UW Information School

This year’s GOLD Award recipient, Steph Ballard, Ph.D. ’23, MLIS ’17, is a director of Responsible AI at Microsoft. In a fast-changing environment, Ballard stays on top of regulatory changes around the world and provides clear guidance to engineering teams to ensure the company’s products are built responsibly.