October 25, 2021
Technology and Society Task Force: Leading the Way in Addressing the Societal Impacts of Emerging Technology
Background:
In the late 1960s, in response to perceived dangers and misuses of nuclear, chemical, and biomedical technology, several major universities in the United States and Europe founded programs devoted to studying the interplay between technology and society. The impact was significant: the U.S. government drew upon these programs in developing the model of “technology assessment,” resulting in the creation of expert bodies such as the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (1972 to 1995) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (1976 to today).
Recent years have seen renewed attention within academia, industry, and government to the impacts of technology on society. Private philanthropy has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in this area in recent years, and Congress and other government bodies have held multiple hearings and workshops on genetic engineering, online misinformation, quantum computing and other topics. There has been a flurry of legislative and regulatory activity among U.S. states and federal agencies and Europe recently proposed comprehensive rules to govern artificial intelligence.
The University has often found itself at the forefront of these conversations. We are considered a leading school for computer science, information science, and biotechnology, among many other areas. Individual faculty across our campuses are renown for their work on the ethical, legal, historical, cultural, and other societal aspects of technology. We are located in a region long associated with technical innovation. Nevertheless, the University of Washington as a whole is not widely recognized as a standout leader in the societal aspects of emerging technology.
It’s time for this to change. The task force represents an important, preliminary step toward establishing technology and society as an area of excellence at the University of Washington. By bringing together existing work in technology and society, identifying impediments to impact, and capturing best practices, the task force will position the University to attract resources, faculty, and students, and to prove ourselves as an indispensable resource to state, federal, and international policymakers grappling with rapid technologic change.
Goals:
• Catalog existing efforts around technology and society across all three campuses and the School of Medicine, including mature proposals for future work;
• Assess barriers to, and develop best practices in, technology and society research and learning, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary impact;
• Produce a report to University leadership detailing a strategy to position the University as a standout leader in technology and society and a model for other universities and colleges around the world.
Charge:
This task force will bring together existing and anticipated work at the intersection of technology and society across the University of Washington, assess barriers and best practices, and recommend action to position the University as a standout leader in the field.
In conducting this work, the task force will:
1. Understand “technology” broadly to encompass physical, digital, chemical, and biomedical artifacts, devices, and systems;
2. Understand “society” broadly to include regional, national, and international communities;
3. Seek input from across all three campuses and the School of Medicine;
4. Emphasize the role of interdisciplinary; and
5. Foreground the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Faculty Membership:
| Ryan Calo (Chair) | Professor, School of Law Co-Founder, Tech Policy Lab Co-Founder, Center for an Informed Public |
| Dr. Tim Brown | Assistant Professor, Bioethics & Humanities, School of Medicine |
| Dr. Carole Palmer | Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Information School |
| Dr. Saadia Pekkanen | Professor, Jackson School of International Studies Co-Founder, Space Policy and Research Center |
| Dr. Katharina Reinecke | Associate Professor, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering Co-Founder, Lab in the Wild |
| Dr. Adam Romero | Assistant Professor, Science, Technology, and Society, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences |
| Dr. Kate Starbird | Associate Professor, Human Centered Design and Engineering Co-Founder, Center for an Informed Public |
| Dr. Matthew Weinstein | Professor, Science, Technology, and Society, School of Education |
Timeline:
The task force will meet from Fall 2021 through June 2022. Deliverables are due in June 2022, with a progress report due in March 2022.
Deliverables:
By the end of June 2022, the task force shall produce a report to the President and Provost consistent with the charge and scope listed above. The report should include recommendations for positioning the University as a standout leader in technology and society and recommended specific next steps. If there are any objectives that need additional evaluation and work, the task force will identify these and make recommendations for the process needed for completion.
Thank you for your willingness to serve on this important task force.
Ana Mari Cauce
President
Professor of Psychology
Mark A. Richards
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Earth and Space Sciences