Science & Technology

On February 19, the Technology and Public Purpose Project (TAPP) convened the second session of the spring semester for the Boston Tech Hub Faculty Working Group. This monthly meeting convenes faculty from across Harvard and MIT in disciplines of engineering, business, law, government, computer science, biology, and medicine to explore the intersections of technological innovation and risks and benefits to society. This month, the group discussed the topic “Do Venture Capitalists have a Public Purpose Responsibility for Emerging Technology?” 

CAMBRIDGE MA – Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs has convened the inaugural meeting of The Council on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a new effort to address critical questions about this far-reaching and rapidly evolving application for data and technology.  

Professor Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti is the Benjamin Peirce Research Professor of Technology and Public Policy at Harvard University, former dean of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and former director of the Belfer Center's Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program. The award is one of the highest honors given by the National Academy of Engineering, and recognizes an engineer who has shown dedication in science and technology as well as active involvement in determining U.S. science and technology policy.

“Honey bots” that counter malicious bots. An app called Sanity Check. Cyber Security Bonds. And technology that breaks the grip of online echo chambers. Those are just some of the ideas that college students from around the country presented Thursday in Cambridge as part of the Defending Digital Democracy Project’s first-ever Information Operations Technical and Policy Hack-a-thon.

The Cybersecurity Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is looking for a junior or mid-career practitioner or academic with a strong background or interest in cybersecurity and the Middle East to address these issues. The topic of cybersecurity should be construed broadly and does not require professional-level technical competency. 

Postdoctoral Fellow Ben Buchanan was interviewed by Alyza Sebanius for The Atlantic on June 28, 2017. In his new book, The Cybersecurity Dilemma, Dr. Buchanan argues that the line between offensive and defensive attacks is far from clear.