Tech Ethics and Policy
Technology is on the front page of the news media every day. It permeates every facet of our daily lives, shifting the fabric of society and changing the way we live and interact. The Master of Arts in [Tech]ethics & Science Policy* explores the ethical dilemmas resulting from these changes and the policymaking methods to translate those discussions into actionable policy recommendations. Receive more info Join an Online Info SessionStudents focused on technology in the Duke Master of Arts in Bioethics & Science Policy explore topics at the intersection of technology, ethics, law, and policy. Areas of study include big data and data privacy, artificial intelligence, and the increasing overlap between research, medicine, and technology.
Our hope is that through a rich multidisciplinary experience, our students will be well-prepared to partake in the critical ethical and policy discussions that are too often outpaced by the technological advances from which they originate.
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The Center for Science & Technology Policy
The Center for Science & Technology Policy is a newly launched collaboration with Sanford School for Public Policy. It explores the difficult science and technology issues facing our society and expands the University offerings in science and technology policy. Directing the Center is Professor Matt Perault, former Director of Public Policy at Facebook, where he led the company’s global public policy planning efforts on issues such as competition, law enforcement and human rights, and oversaw public policy for WhatsApp, Oculus and Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research.
Additional Opportunities and Expertise at Duke
Professors Jonathan Weiner & Mark Borsuk
The Center on Risk is a university‐wide research, teaching, and engagement program focused on the detection, analysis, regulation, and mitigation of risk. Professors Weiner and Borsuk co-direct the Center and provide numerous research and teaching opportunities in risk, uncertainty, optimization, and decision-making.
Professor Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward is Associate Dean of Technology and Innovation and serves as the Director of Duke’s Center on Law & Technology. Ward coordinates Duke’s leadership at the intersection of law and technology with programs like the Duke Law Tech Lab and his popular course Frontier AI & Robotics: Law & Ethics.
Professor Missy Cummings
Mary (Missy) Cummings directs the Humans and Autonomy Lab. Her research focuses on human-unmanned vehicle interaction, human-autonomous system collaboration, human-robot interaction, and the ethical and social impact of technology. HAL focuses on the multifaceted interactions of human and computer decision-making in complex sociotechnical systems with embedded autonomy.
Professor Arti Rai
Arti Rai is deeply engaged in activities related to Science & Society, including helping to found the new Duke Law Center for Innovation Policy, which focuses on policy mechanisms for promoting scientific and technology innovation. Rai’s current work focuses on the intersection of trade secrecy incentives and explainability in AI-enabled health care delivery.
Professor Ken Rogerson
Ken Rogerson is the Director of Graduate Studies for the Sanford Master’s of Public Policy Program and the Director of Duke’s Policy Journalism and Media Studies Certificate Program. He has served as chair of the American Political Science Association’s Information Technology and Politics Section and the International Studies Association’s International Communication Section.
Professor Philip Napoli
Phil Napoli’s research focuses on media institutions and media regulation and policy. He has provided formal and informal expert testimony on these topics to government bodies such as the U.S. Senate, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Congressional Research Service.
This is not an exhaustive list. We encourage each of our students to seek out opportunities with associate and affiliate faculty and across campus that best fit their specific interests. The flexibility of our program allows every student to carve a uniquely personal path through their graduate studies.
About the Program Chair
Chairing the [Tech]ethics and Science Policy program is Dr. Nita Farahany. Dr. Farahany is Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, a professor of law and philosophy, and a leading scholar on the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging technologies, particularly those related to neuroscience, genetics, and intelligent systems. She is a regular author and guest at the World Economic Forum and Aspen Ideas Festival, and recently presented a TED talk on brain data privacy.
Listen to Dr. Farahany discuss regulation for the fourth industrial revolution during the 2018 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Geneva.
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* The formal title of our graduate program is “Bioethics & Science Policy.” To clarify opportunities within our program that extend beyond traditional bioethics, we refer to topic-specific studies in brackets. i.e. [data]ethics, [ai]ethics, etc.