Science & Technology

The Technology and Public Purpose Project held a discussion on “Responsible AI: A Guide to the Future” with Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab and a panel of distinguished speakers working on innovative and emerging AI-based technologies.

A practical training video for campaign staff and volunteers from all political parties, "Five Things" was produced by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs' bipartisan Defending Digital Democracy Project to help campaigns understand the importance of cybersecurity and learn what they can do about it.

The Belfer Center's incoming senior fellows, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers, provided their insights into Russia's influence over the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Belfer Center Director Graham Allison moderated.

Melissa Hathaway participated in the European Security Forum's Cyber Security Conference 2016 in Krakow Poland. This conference is one of just a few regular public policy conferences devoted to the strategic issues of cyberspace and cybersecurity in Europe. She presented key elements of the Cyber Readiness Index 2.0 and discussed areas for better private-public cooperation.

Director Michael Sulmeyer of the Cyber Security Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs welcomed industry experts Robert Lee, CEO of Dragos Security and former U.S. Air Force Cyber Warfare Operations Officer, and Mudge, founder of the Cyber Independent Testing Laboratory, with previous experience as a DoD official for DARPA and Deputy Director of Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Division, to get to ground truth on this attack and its implications.

Coinciding with the conclusion of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Bill and Melinda Gates talk about their “big bets” for the next 15 years in their Annual Letter this year. Among the questions they ask: How do we feed Africa, and ultimately the world? Their big bet is that Africa will feed itself and will be on the way to helping feed the world by 2030.

Calestous Juma, who heads the Belfer Center’s Agricultural Innovation in Africa project, supported by the Gates Foundation, agrees with the Gates’ bet. In his 2011 book The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, he provides details on how Africa can feed itself in a generation. Here, he answers questions about what is needed for Africa to make huge strides in agriculture in the next 15 years.

Melissa Hathaway gave an overview of the latest developments in cybersecurity from a US and then global perspective—and discussed what is at stake for companies and nations at a Centre for International Governance Innovation Policy Forum.

Senior Fellow Olli Heinonen discussed pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, its proliferation risks, and safeguards.

An audio recording and summary of Dr. Shafeeq Ghabra's lecture at Harvard Kennedy School on September 24.