TechTank

Latest Episodes:

Can policymakers level the playing field in the computer sciences? May 16, 2022

Show notes

In this technological age, workforce demands for computer science skills have evolved and keep evolving. On TechTank, Dr. Nicol Turner Lee is joined by Michael Hansen, Nicolas Zerbino and Kimberly Scott to discuss what it means to equitably expand access to computer science education for K-12 students. They also look at a recently-released report authored by Hansen and Zerbino, “Exploring the state of computer science education amid rapid policy expansion”.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What should we do about computer chip shortages? May 02, 2022

Show notes

Semiconductor chips powered the digital revolution. However, recent shortages exacerbated by the global pandemic and geopolitical tensions have slowed production and imperiled economic activity. On TechTank, Darrell West is joined by Jeremy Mark and Emily Kilcrease to discuss what to expect going forward, ways to improve supply chain resiliency and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation on improving the STEM pipeline with UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

On #TechTank, Dr. Turner Lee and Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, unpack the challenges of having a more inclusive tech workforce and discuss a pathway toward student success and professional achievement for under-represented students and professionals.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to discourage extremism and harmful activities on social media platforms Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

The Internet democratized the information ecosystem and generated many different uses. But at the same time, there are concerns about ways that social media platforms enable violent speech, extremism, and human abuses. On TechTank, Darrell West is joined by Ben Wittes and Quinta Jurecic to discuss how policymakers and regulators could proceed with content moderation on social media sites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with Jessica Brandt and Emerson Brooking on the information wars in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought forward many important questions about the social media landscape. In this episode of TechTank, guest host Samantha Lai is joined by Jessica Brandt and Emerson Brooking to discuss the role disinformation has played in this conflict, how social media companies and the American government have responded, and what precedence this sets for the future of the global internet.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Civil rights and artificial intelligence: Can the two concepts coexist? Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Nicol Turner Lee speaks to Renee Cummings and Lisa Rice on biases in artificial intelligence and how

they disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups in financial services, hiring, policing, and

more. Together, they will conduct a deep dive into these difficult questions and offer insight on

remedies to this pressing question of equitable AI.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Coates on racial inequities in our criminal justice system Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

On TechTank, Darrell West interviews Laura Coates on her new book, Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness. They talk about her views of the criminal justice system, racial and gender inequities, and ways digital technologies are complicating the works of prosecutors, defenders, and suspects. The two also discuss ways to improve the legal system and overcome existing injustices.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rep. Ro Khanna on democratizing our digital transformation Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Darrell West interviews Congressman Ro Khanna about his new book, Dignity in a Digital

Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us. They discuss challenges from the ever-widening scope of

the digital world: how it has accentuated inequality, widened our political divide, threatened

personal privacy and more, as well as how improved policy can address these issues.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Digital Technology Is Reshaping Espionage and Intelligence-Gathering Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Darrell West interviews Dr. Amy Zegart, author of a new book entitled Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The

History and Future of American Intelligence. They discuss how digital technology is transforming

espionage and why America needs to move towards more open-source data gathering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What to expect from Biden's 2022 tech agenda Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

2022 is shaping up to be an eventful year in tech policy. President Biden has laid out an ambitious agenda on infrastructure investment, tech regulation, COVID mitigation, antitrust policy, and AI investment, among other topics. He has nominated a number of tough-minded individuals to major administrative agencies and has signaled a strong stance on large tech platforms. At the same time, technology is playing a major role in governance and democracy problems. Some worry about the extent to which technology is fueling polarization and extremism, and endangering the future of American democracy. In this episode, Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee delve into what to expect from Biden’s tech policy agenda in 2022.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.