April 28, 2025

Partnership brings forward responsible tech master’s course

Society + Technology

Society + Technology at UW has partnered with the University of Washington’s Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) to offer a master’s-level course in the Master of Science in Technology Innovation program (MSTI 522): The History and Future of Technology: Responsible Technological Innovation. GIX is a joint initiative between the UW College of Engineering and the Foster School of Business. The […]

April 10, 2025

Distinguished Lecture emphasizes policies can offset AI’s agnotology

Monika Sengul-Jones, Director of Society + Technology at UW

On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the Tech Policy Lab hosted Dr. Alondra Nelson for its annual Distinguished Lecture, drawing a crowd of over 350 to Kane Hall in Seattle, Washington. Nelson, the former Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, focused her remarks on “algorithmic agnotology,” which is the strategic […]

April 4, 2025

Faculty Associate encourages critical thinking around AI in new article

ARS Technica

TPL Faculty Associate Emily Bender shares thoughts about the challenging public perception of AI in a new article in ARS Technica. Bender commented on a survey comparing attitudes about AI that polled both the general public and AI experts. The findings showed the public is much less enthusiastic about the technology than experts but that […]

April 2, 2025

Article highlights contributions of women in AI

Brookings

A new article in Brookings recognizes multiple TPL affiliates as women making contributions to the field of AI. “Recognizing the (un)hidden figures in AI” lifts up the work women do that often goes unnoticed. The publication’s inaugural list identified multiple women through a review of their public accomplishments, selected for their prominence outside the industry, […]

April 1, 2025

Waymos’ lack of humanity may help rationalize violence, Co-Director says

KQED

The recent rash of vandalism targeting Waymos (driverless robotaxis) raises questions about why these cars inspire hostility. TPL Co-Director Ryan Calo explores this topic and public anxiety over artificial intelligence in a KQED radio story. He posits that since Waymos are robots that lack any characteristics of humans, they are easier for humans to target […]

March 3, 2025

Join new technology salon April 14

Society + Technology

Technology for the People is a Society + Technology at UW salon co-hosted with the Department of Communication’s Center for Journalism, Media, and Democracy arranged to showcase empathetic, community-focused engagement with technologies for justice and democracy. Featuring speakers from UW Seattle, UW Tacoma, and UW Bothell, the conversation will discuss efforts toward digital equity and information access in the […]

Power intersecting with media is impacting free speech, Co-Director says

KUOW/NPR

Ownership of platforms by politically powerful leaders is creating an environment of bullying and fear, Co-Director Ryan Calo said in a recent segment on KUOW. “What we’re seeing today that’s new is that some of the most influential voices who are bullying other Americans also have the reins of power, whether that be because they […]

February 20, 2025

‘StarTalk’ welcomes Co-Director emeritus to discuss human values and tech

StarTalk

Co-Director emeritus Batya Friedman was a featured guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s most recent episode of “StarTalk,” a podcast that bridges the intersection between science, pop culture and comedy. Friedman joined to discuss the challenges of designing a future where human values and AI coexist, and what it looks like to integrate ethics and human […]

February 3, 2025

Control over AI can mean extreme power, Co-Director says

Good Day Seattle/Fox13

Co-Founder Ryan Calo recently joined Good Day Seattle to discuss the future of AI and the Trump administration investment in the technology. “There’s a lot of people in this administration … that think of this technology, of AI, as the most important technology of our time,” Calo said. “And furthermore, they think that whoever controls […]

February 1, 2025

Co-Director’s research named to top 10 stories in 2024

Montreal AI Ethics Institute

Research by Co-Director Aylin Caliskan and UW Information School Ph.D. student Kyra Wilson was named one of the top 10 stories in ethics and responsible AI for 2024 by the Montreal AI Ethics Institute. The AI Ethics Brief post notes that “Gender, Race, and Intersectional Bias in Resume Screening via Language Model Retrieval” highlights the […]