March 3, 2026

Tech Policy Lab hosts international leaders and scholars

Tech Policy Lab

In November, the Lab hosted an international group with representatives from four South Central Asian countries as part of a larger U.S. visit of leaders exploring various areas of tech policy. They discussed a wide variety of tech policy issues with the Lab, as well as how different legislative processes in different countries can present […]

February 27, 2026

If chatbots are therapists, what are obligations? Co-Director asks

A recent New York Times article considers the questions surrounding use of AI that endangers public safety, including instances where individuals built bombs or planned large-scale attacks. “When Chatbots Are Used to Plan Violence, Is There a Duty to Warn?” brings forward issues of privacy vs. safety, including questions around when to report to law enforcement […]

February 7, 2026

Co-Director named 2025 ACM Fellow

Tech Policy Lab

Co-Director Tadayoshi Kohno was named a 2025 Association for Computing Machinery Fellow. He is being recognized for leadership in cybersecurity for emerging technologies, security ethics, and sociotechnical security. ACM Fellows were selected by their peers for achieving remarkable results through their technical innovations and/or service to the field. “These men and women represent the top […]

February 1, 2026

Society + Tech initiative leads lively talk on privacy, surveillance

UW Information School

The University of Washington Society + Technology initiative convened a panel discussion on Jan. 12 to discuss “Who’s Watching? Privacy and Urban Surveillance.” The after-hours event at Halcyon Brewing Co. in Seattle was hosted by Society + Technology Director of Strategy and Operations Monika Sengul-Jones and moderated by Information School and School of Law Professor Ryan […]

January 18, 2026

Fake sexualized images create real harm, TPL student says

CNET

xAI’s Grok is now under formal investigation in California for the tool’s creation of nonconsensual sexualized images. In addition to being potentially illegal these altered photos can inflict deep damage, according to Natalie Grace Brigham, Tech Policy Lab Ph.D. student who studies sociotechnical harms. “Although these images are fake, the harm is incredibly real,” Brigham […]

January 3, 2026

Co-Director joins Electronic Privacy Information Center board

Tech Policy Lab

On Jan. 2, Co-Director Ryan Calo joined the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Board of Directors, alongside Kathrine Strandburg of the NYU School of Law and David Brody of the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. EPIC’s work is guided by leading scholars, practitioners and advocates in the fields […]

January 1, 2026

Science fiction AI is nowhere near reality

National Geographic

The media has created stories of AI ending humanity but that’s not close to our current reality, Faculty Associate Emily Bender says. In a recent article in National Geographic, Bender argues that current AI tools share little with the thinking, feeling AIs of science fiction. “What companies mean when they say AI is ‘venture capitalists, […]

December 20, 2025

Co-Director skeptical of legality of nonprofit’s live cameras

NPR

A move by a New Orleans nonprofit to make the city “safer” could be circumventing legal protections, Co-Director Ryan Calo said in a recent NPR article. Project NOLA has built a network of cameras that allow for facial recognition with the goal of making it easier to find suspects after a crime is committed. But […]

December 12, 2025

Time’s new AI agent undermines journalism, Faculty Associate says

Yahoo! News

Time magazine recently launched an “Ask Me Anything” AI chatbot on its website. This window can’t be closed, which is a problematic feature, according to Faculty Associate Emily Bender. “Any journalistic outfit that values the work of their journalists wouldn’t offer to present it as papier-mâché,” Bender said of the AI chatbot, “and certainly wouldn’t […]

December 7, 2025

Robot dogs have role in thoughtful policing, Co-Director says

Bloomberg News

The growing use of robot “dogs” in policing across the country has raised ethical concerns and the public is calling for oversight and transparency. “Spot” is a German Shepherd-size robot being deployed by around 60 departments in the United States. It can intervene in situations that may be life-threatening for a human police officer or […]