The Tech Tank Podcast was launched two years ago on August 6, 2020. Over the past two years, we’ve been breaking down complex issues into handy bits, not bytes, and bringing you all the latest conversations with experts in tech and telecom. To commemorate two years of inspiring talks on everything from STEM to semiconductors, from the metaverse to misinformation and racial bias in algorithms to the future of work. Here are some highlights from last year’s episodes:
Taylor Lorenz, former New York Times technology reporter and fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, joins host Samantha Laine to discuss how young people use the Internet and how influencer culture works. The pair discussed algorithmic discrimination, misinformation and online child exploitation.
When Facebook changed its name to Meta last year, many people started asking questions about what “Metaverse” meant. However, host Darrell West, along with Tom Wheeler, visiting fellow at Brookings Management Studies, and Kathryn Cross, Ph.D. A student at the University of Washington’s School of Information, Metaverse is more than just a company. In this episode, experts discuss privacy, security, virtual content moderation, the sale of virtual goods, and concerns over data ownership in the Metaverse.
The Covid-19 pandemic continues, as does the threat of new epidemics such as monkeypox. As a result, vaccination passports or digital health certificates have increased in popularity. Nicole Turner Lee comments on this trend with Mark Hall, non-resident senior fellow at Brookings and director of the Health Law and Policy Program at Wake Forest University School of Law. Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project and editor of the ACLU’s Free Future blog; And Emily Scahill was a former research assistant at the Brookings Center for Technological Innovation. Collectively, privacy issues of personal health information are discussed with vaccination passports.
Nicole Turner Lee asked Michael Hansen, Brown’s senior fellow for education policy and the Herman and George R. Brown Chair in Management Studies at Brookings. Nicholas Zerbino, research analyst for education policy at Brookings Brown; And a professor of women’s and gender studies at Arizona State University and founding executive director of ASU’s Center for Gender Equality in Science and Technology, the big question is: “Can policymakers level the playing field in computing?” Science?” In this podcast, experts discuss Hans and Zerbino’s new report on expanding computer science education and reflecting on what it takes for all students to participate and succeed in the economy of the future.
Rep. Ro Canna (D-CA) with host Darrell West about his new book, “Dignity in the Digital Age: Making Tech Work for Us All.” Congressman Ro Cana represents the Silicon Valley area and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration. In this episode, Congressman Khanna discusses how technology has exacerbated economic and geographic disparities, widened the digital divide, and threatened personal privacy. It also describes “progressive capitalism” policy measures needed to address those issues. This includes expanding broadband infrastructure, funding semiconductor chip manufacturing, and encouraging workers to control the use of surveillance technology.
All of these issues continue to resonate over time, so if you missed an episode, it’s a good time to go back and listen. And to all our subscribers, thank you for coming along for the ride. We look forward to talking with you and learning more about the ever-evolving technology landscape.
In the future, misinformation is rampant in the face of midterm elections, and new technologies continue to lack protections against bias and unfairness. Meanwhile, Congress and the Biden administration continue to work on important technology policy issues like protecting consumer privacy and closing the digital divide. We continue to cover all these topics and more on TechTank. Keep up with the TechTank podcast by subscribing to the TechTank newsletter and tuning in to the next episode – available wherever podcasts are available, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast.
Meta is a general, unrestricted donor to the Brookings Institution. The findings, interpretations and conclusions posted in this article are solely those of the authors and are not influenced by any donation.
