The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
The Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for practitioners at the intersection of responsible technology development to explore multidisciplinary approaches to maximizing the societal benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing the harms.
In recent years, dilemmas posed by rapid technological innovation have become more complex and acute. The TAPP Fellowship, crafted in response to the greater need to train people to carry out multidisciplinary tech policy and practitioner analysis in both government and industry, is open to individuals from all disciplines with a demonstrated interest in tech and public purpose in their work. Fellows are appointed for a one-year term and are part of a cohort responsible for conducting research in a tech and public purpose field, such as privacy, safety and security, transparency and accountability, or inclusion.