Technology Design via a Public Interest Technology (PIT) Values Lens

This course examines how technology can be a force for societal good when designed with public interest values at its core. It delves into the potential for technologies to promote equity, ethics, transparency, sustainability, justice, and public participation while recognizing the significant risks of neglecting these principles. Without deliberate attention to these values, technology can exacerbate inequality, amplify bias, undermine privacy, and consolidate power in ways that harm society. Students will assess the risks and unintended consequences of technology deployment through case studies?such as digital identity systems, facial recognition, and data trusts?and critical discussions. Students will explore design and development strategies that create technologies that are inclusive, accountable, and aligned with societal needs, while exploring the incentives that drive responsible innovation. The course emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, equipping students with a shared vocabulary to bridge perspectives from policy, law, technology, and business. It also highlights the compatibility of ethical design with financial success, showing how technology that prioritizes social impact can be both profitable and sustainable. Students will leave the course with tools to navigate and contribute to the growing field of public interest technology.