Content

GeoTech Cues

Dec 22, 2020

The future of food: Imagining our food system in the decades to come

By Marcus Ranney, Sahil Shah

Our global food system is complex, with trade-offs existing between efficiency, equity, and human and environmental health. Managing a transition, even without cultural factors and vested interests is highly challenging.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

GeoTech Cues

Dec 18, 2020

Reimagining a just society pt. 2 | The end of an era

By Carol Dumaine

This blog post series will explore the meaning of a “just society” through multiple lenses and in the context of today’s challenges, including but not limited to the coronavirus pandemic. With contributions from multiple authors, it aims to stimulate thinking and questions that distill the prerequisites and responsibilities for “just societies” in our times. COVID-19 spotlights […]

Coronavirus Inclusive Growth

GeoTech Cues

Dec 18, 2020

Pretrial risk assessment tools must be directed toward an abolitionist vision

By Nikhil Raghuveera and Hannah Biggs

The United States criminal justice system is increasingly turning to risk assessment tools in pretrial hearings—before a defendant is convicted of a crime—as well as in sentencing procedures. Risk assessment tools give judges a numerical metric that indicates a pretrial defendant’s risk of failing to appear in court, or threat to the community prior to their pretrial hearing. Judges set bail based on this tool. Facing an incredibly high volume of pretrial detainees, risk assessment tools are designed to help quickly and effectively determine pretrial detention and ease courts’ burdens. To truly address the failures of the criminal justice system, however, public sector leaders must:

Digital Policy Inclusive Growth

GeoTech Cues

Dec 18, 2020

Silicon Valley’s role in foreign policy and what others can learn from it, Part II: Ecosystem building advice and policy recommendations

By Alexandre Lazarow (Guest Author)

In the last twenty years, one of the United States’ key exports has been the technology coming out of Silicon Valley—and along with it, its particular brand of innovation culture. Unsurprisingly, innovation has risen to the top of policy makers’ agendas around the world. Yet, creating carbon copies of Silicon Valley is not the answer. To compete in the increasingly global innovation arena, countries and companies are writing a new playbook.

Economy & Business International Markets

GeoTech Cues

Dec 18, 2020

The West, China, and AI surveillance

By Kaan Sahin (Guest Author)

AI surveillance tools in various forms are spreading globally, from facial recognition and early outbreak detection to predictive policing and gait recognition. Despite different legal restrictions, authoritarian and democratic states alike are increasingly employing these instruments to track, surveil, anticipate, and even grade the behavior of their own citizens.

Cybersecurity Defense Technologies

GeoTech Cues

Dec 17, 2020

Property rights, data, and prosperity in Africa

By Thomas Koch

One of the biggest obstacles to wealth creation and greater economic prosperity in Africa has to do with land ownership. Overcoming this obstacle will require better data collection, aggregation, and transparency.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

Event Recap

Dec 16, 2020

Event recap | Technology policy and leadership in 2021

By GeoTech Center

A discussion featuring The Honorable Secretary James F. Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development on how leadership will change in the next digital decade.

Digital Policy Resilience & Society

GeoTech Cues

Dec 14, 2020

Vaccine hesitancy part 1: Using connections to drive human-centered approaches for health

By Tiffany Vora

Dr. Tiffany Vora shares insights from a recent peer-reviewed investigation of online interactions about vaccination and integrates these insights with an orthogonal approach to understanding vaccine hesitancy.

Coronavirus Disinformation

GeoTech Cues

Dec 14, 2020

Why quantum technologies represent a new paradigm of trust

By Borja Prado

The development of quantum technology (and the ongoing global race to build the most powerful supercomputer) has inestimable potential effects on our livelihoods, from message encryption to quantum teleportation. How do we encourage trust and more knowledge-based collaborations?

Conflict Resilience & Society

Event Recap

Dec 9, 2020

Event recap | Space salon: Innovative solutions to real world problems

By GeoTech Center

During this episode of the GeoTech Hour, panelists highlighted what they believe should be agriculture and food systems priorities in 2021 and beyond.

Digital Policy Resilience & Society