Norms and Systems of Governance for Synthetic Biology

In a world where you can grow anything, what are the norms and systems of governance that should exist around the production of substances that can have harmful effects?

The team’s first objective will be to assemble a historical review of how thinkers and actors have categorized the wide range of potentially addictive, tolerance-building, and/or dependence-building substances. Then, the team will look at which of these categorization schemes have been adopted by governments and other stakeholder groups for the purposes of designing controlled substances regimes.

How Mission Orientations, Ethical Beliefs, And Ownership Structures Have Shaped The Growth Of Companies And Their Impacts On The World.

Ginkgo Bioworks has three permanent ownership values: mission obsession, caring about how our platform is built and used, and ownership.

The team will explore how mission orientations, ethical beliefs, and ownership structures have shaped the growth of Ginkgo Bioworks and other companies and their impacts on the world. The team will also research the ownership structure of biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies internationally to explore how their ownership structure influences company governance, as well as product development and commercialization.

Examples of important comparisons we would like to explore include: the degree to which corporations are state-owned, foundation-controlled, and public/private; corporations’ approach to intellectual property and commercialization strategies; corporations’ approaches to future-oriented R&D. The team will also incorporate analysis of how relevant laws and regulations limited or encouraging certain ownership schemes have been developed.

Incentives and Compensation of AI Models

This team will conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis to explore how incentives and compensation mechanisms could influence AI model behaviors in alignment with predefined goals. Drawing from economic, behavioral economic theories and other relevant theories of behavior, the team will assess the role and relevance of human and animal behavior incentive models to AI systems. Within the project scope will be clarifying the concept of “incentives” within AI contexts, with the aim of avoiding dilution of its meaning through linguistic drift. The team may also design a pilot scheme to tests specific incentive, reward, or compensation strategies, and a methodology that could measure any relevant changes in AI model behavior. As a preliminary scoping project, the goal will be to better understand and model the potential value of incentive-based frameworks to guide AI towards behaviors that are beneficial and aligned with human values and organizational objectives.

Women in AI

Assessing the entity of the AI gender divide, proposing relevant metrics that can help assess the status quo, establish objectives, and monitor improvement or lack thereof. Identify possible policy actions that can help narrow the gap and create a matrix of gap type versus possible policy action. Particular attention should be given to identifying policy solutions that do not require important financing and that aim at achieving inclusion by design.

AI and Inequalities

Characterizing the type of and the mechanisms whereby AI can create new inequalities and aggravate existing ones. Once identified, the analysis should point out the possible effects of such inequalities on societal and democratic dynamics, with particular attention being paid to social justice. Finally, possible policy solutions should be outlined, which should be proposed bearing in mind the expected effectiveness vis a vis costs and end a realistic assessment of the likelihood of such policies being implemented. Examples taken from real policies implemented in order to ensure ethics and inclusion by design should be privileged.

AI, (Dis/mis)information And Democratic Processes

Assessing the way in which AI and AI systems can contribute or otherwise counter misinformation and disinformation, and how these are related and may influence democratic processes, paying attention both to determinants and to mechanisms whereby these happen. Identify possible solutions and successful cases whereby AI has been leveraged to address information asymmetries and strengthen democratic processes.

Methodology to Analyze Data Coming from Worldwide Consultations

An ad hoc group of high-level experts (AHEG) has been set up by UNESCO to prepare the draft text of a recommendation on the ethics of neurotechnology. A series of global, regional, and national consultations will be launched between May and August to capture the comments and views of a wide range of key stakeholders. An online platform will be designed to enable the widest possible outreach. These inputs will help the AHEG finalize its text by September before we move to the intergovernmental process. The project will focus on designing and applying an AI-driven approach to enable tagging and analyzing qualitatively and quantitatively all the comments received and facilitate the processing and analysis of the comments by the AHEG. The researchers will work on designing the most appropriate AI-driven approach or coding system and will deliver an aggregated analysis of all comments by category and relevance. The comments will be indexed to the different sections of the text drafted by the AHEG group.

The Implications Of AI’s Capacity For Automated Deception

Many of the policy challenges created by generative AI for everything from cybersecurity policy to deepfake election disinformation have at their root a common problem: that this technology enables deception to be automated for the first time in human history, a change which will have broad implications for society and law. Students will conduct desk research, culminating in a research memorandum, that will identify gaps in select areas of federal statute and jurisprudence created by the automation of deception. Students will also work with the CHT team to draft principles and identify best practices that can guide lawmakers and courts in addressing those gaps.

Ethical Implementation of Biometric AI Technologies for Enhanced Security

There are emerging issues with using Biometric AI technologies, such as facial recognition technologies in parking lots or in office buildings to enhance security measures. These technologies could potentially identify high-risk situations, such as active shooters, or even identify every person in a building wearing a specific attire, like a red sweater.

Problem Statement: While the potential benefits of such technology are significant, there are also ethical and privacy concerns that need to be addressed. The challenge lies in implementing this technology in a manner that ensures the safety and protection of employees, and preventing bias in algorithms, while also respecting their privacy and personal rights.

Objective: The objective of this use case is to develop a comprehensive solution that allows for leveraging biometric AI technologies for security purposes, while also ensuring ethical considerations are met.

Synthetic Biology and AI Convergence Team

This team will investigate the intersection of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, exploring the implications for biosecurity, innovation, and policy development.

Brain-Computer Interfaces, AI, and Immersive Technologies Convergence Team

This team will focus on the convergence of brain-computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, and immersive technologies, examining the impact on privacy, ethics, and regulatory frameworks.

Examining Social Media Harms

Duke fellows will work with Frances Haugen’s organization, Beyond the Screen to examine harms caused by social media. They will bootstrap one harm area into a level of maturity/rigor that it models what a robust harm mapping looks like. Beyond documenting the harms within the space, they will lay the groundwork for technologists to come in and begin fleshing out strategies for pulling the levers identified by the students in the fall.

Project Leads: David Hoffman

Project Manager: Spencer Reeves

Freedom Online Coalition: Promoting Inclusive and Transnational Digital Equality

The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) offers a unique informal diplomatic space to share information and concerns about current developments that threaten to compromise Internet freedom around the world and facilitates coordination in relevant forums to advance an open, free, and secure Internet. In addition to contributing to the work of the FOC Chair to develop a glossary for digital equity, students will also assist with the creation of a repository of FOC countries’ best practices on issues pertaining to bridging digital divides.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD, MA

One Mind: Creating Mental Health Technologies and Application Code of Ethics to Scale

Students on this project will work with select companies in the early stages of developing digital, hardware, and biotech mental health tools to develop an ethical framework for operating the company over time. This work will require students to familiarize themselves with a range of new technological applications, including virtual and extended reality, being developed to treat mental health diseases. Students can also expect to learn about the business development of these early-stage applications to create applicable codes of ethics throughout the growth of the businesses.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.

OECD: Mitigating the Risks of Emerging Technologies

Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to develop a governance framework to both encourage the development of and mitigate the potential harms of emerging technologies. Framework development will require creative and interdisciplinary research to identify different dimensions of risks posed by emerging technologies. As part of this work, students will also conduct policy research to identify potential “soft-law” strategies – e.g. principles, standards, guidelines and codes of practice — to shape the trajectory of new technologies.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA

OECD: Developing Impact Assessment Tools for Neurotechnologies

Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to support the development of impact assessment tools for the use of neurotechnologies. This project would constitute Phase I of developing a “neurotech” impact assessment tool that analyses the effects that the adoption of neurotechnology by a business would have on workers, local community members, consumers, and others.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.

OECD: Creating Emerging Technology Foresight Strategies for Synthetic Biology

Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to develop strategies to anticipate the development of emerging technologies and novel applications beginning with the field of Synthetic Biology (synbio). The development of these strategies will help the OECD monitor new technologies and determine their need for governance. The analysis will require desk research and interviews with practitioners in the field who have conducted these studies. This meta-study will assess any systematic gaps in foresight activity for potential benefits and risks in the short, medium, and long term.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.

Illumina: Developing Patient Data Principles: Enabling Patients to Share and Receive Data Confidently

Students on this project will assist Illumina with the development of good genomic data-sharing principles to help garner effective communication and trust among patients, physicians, and genomic researchers. Specifically, students will research and propose data-sharing principles to encourage the ethical collection, sharing, and communication of patient genomic data with their physicians and researchers. Students will also help assist with the development of guidance to inform how results from early development genomic tests should be handled for the patient in cases where the genomic test has not yet been validated.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA

Illumina: Landscape Analysis of Whole Genome Sequencing and New Born Screening

Students will collaborate to develop a document that outlines the current policy, research, and practice landscape of Whole Genome Sequencing for New Born Screening. Students will have the opportunity to conduct a thorough review of the existing literature and consult with relevant stakeholders to synthesize a clear and concise report. The document will provide a broad overview of the various policies, programs, and research initiatives that exist within this field, as well as identify any gaps or challenges that may exist in the ethical consideration of its applications. The document should also include recommendations for future action or research directions. This landscaping document will assist Illumina as a starting point for further policy development or research planning, as well as possibly be shared with governments, non-profit organizations, or academic institutions to inform their decision-making processes.

Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.

Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA