Data & Society Research Institute

The election of a Trump-Vance administration comes at a critical time for our democracy, and for technology policy. In a time of uncertainty, Data & Society will continue to stand for the public interest. Read our full statement. https://lnkd.in/e6pmBgKA

Looking forward to (virtually) speaking at this “Exploring the Environmental Costs of AI” event at IPK at NYU! Along with Bernadetta Brevini, Nicole Starosielski and Sanjana Paul November 21 at 5:30 PM Eastern https://lnkd.in/gq5QnY_y

In Foreign Policy, D&S Executive Director Janet Haven and Ami Fields-Meyer, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and former senior advisor on technology policy to Vice President Harris, make a powerful case for how unchecked AI endangers democracy. They lay out how opaque, unaccountable AI systems threaten the rights and opportunities that are at the heart of a free and open society, and outline the critical policy interventions that could help us correct course. Ungoverned, “AI undermines democratic practice, norms, and the rule of law — fundamental commitments that underpin a robust a liberal democracy — and opens pathways towards a new type of illiberalism," they write. "To reverse this drift, we must reverse the currents powering it." https://lnkd.in/egu2YpHC

"We need to see the field of AI research and development not only as technical – but sociotechnical – if we are truly to realize the promise, the optimism about technology and society that we started from." - Janet Haven, Executive Director of Data & Society Research Institute #ADSA24 #womeninscience #datascience #EthicalAI

Such a pleasure to join the Academic Data Science Alliance's annual meeting in Ann Arbor this morning! I argued that keeping humans in the loop in technology, the theme of this year's meeting, is a question about power, agency and governance. I absolutely loved the questions and debates that followed. What a thoughtful, engaged group of people -- thank you for inviting me!

November 14 at 1 pm ET: Financial Times AI Editor Madhumita Murgia will discuss her book “Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI” with programmer and advocate Armin Samii, and D&S Senior Researcher Ranjit Singh. RSVP and join us online! https://lnkd.in/egg_zXZT

Our 10th anniversary celebration left us feeling tremendously inspired and hopeful about the future we are building together. If you missed or want to revisit the event, you can now watch video of all the talks — and explore audio, photos, and other resources. https://lnkd.in/gxP-QBPT 

Job alert: We are seeking a highly strategic, visionary, dynamic, and creative individual to serve as Data & Society’s chief development officer (CDO). This is a new position for the organization, intended to scale our already robust development and fundraising efforts. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CDO will play a pivotal role in shaping D&S’s future. Learn more about the position and apply. https://lnkd.in/eJC2SzvU

Thinking like a sociotechnical researcher means recognizing that every technical system represents a set of choices — and paying attention to how those choices are made. As D&S Senior Researcher Ranjit Singh explains, that's something we can all do. https://lnkd.in/eke-6qcV 

New! On Points, Associate Director of Research Patrick Davison, Research Program Manager Siera Dissmore, and Research Editor Kiara Childs, PhD take a look at our researchers’ peer-reviewed work in journals, books, and conferences over the past academic year, broadly concentrated across AI, infrastructure, and labor. https://lnkd.in/ehq3pPgh