Shaping Technology Policy
We address societal implications of technology through research, education and public engagement.
Trailblazing tech, thoughtful policy
This fall, the UC Berkeley AI Policy Hub welcomed its newest class of graduate fellows, representing a broad range of disciplines from electrical engineering to social welfare.
The center, a collaboration between the CITRIS Policy Lab and the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, translates scientific research into governance frameworks to guide the future of AI.
Each year, the AI Policy Hub celebrates its fellows with a research symposium. Among this year’s keynote speakers was CITRIS’s own Ken Goldberg.
UC leaders balance optimism with caution
In February, the first UC Academic Congress on Artificial Intelligence convened tech leaders from across the system to confront AI bias, privacy and possibility. Keynoters discussed the effect of AI on labor markets, how to best prepare students for an AI-equipped workforce, and more.
CITRIS’s Camille Crittenden chaired the conference, and Brandie Nonnecke, director of the CITRIS Policy Lab, served on the program committee. Both were part of a panel on AI application frontiers in university operations.
Summit tackles AI trust and ethical tech
The CITRIS Policy Lab co-hosted the inaugural UC Berkeley Tech Policy Summit in March.
The sold-out event, a daylong exploration of the complex landscape at the intersection of technology and policy, drew world-renowned thought leaders, policymakers and innovators to discuss and debate the topic’s most pressing issues.
CITRIS’s Brandie Nonnecke closed the program with a ceremony for the Tech Integrity Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations who promote responsible tech innovation and policy.
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Building a more responsible world
For Brandie Nonnecke, founding director of the CITRIS Policy Lab, the path to tech policy expertise started in an unconventional place: graphic design.
Now, with research published in Science and work cited by the White House, the UC Berkeley associate adjunct professor demystifies emerging tech to help lawmakers create responsible policy.
In her more than 10 years with CITRIS, Nonnecke has led highly effective initiatives in support of the institute’s mission of applying IT for the public benefit.
“Brandie doesn’t view technology simply through a technology lens. She puts it into a societal context, and a problem-solving context, then deploys her chops. It’s easy to say, but difficult to do.”
— Janet Napolitano, UC Berkeley professor of public policy, director of the Center for Security in Politics, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and 20th president of the University of California system
Cutting through the hype
TecHype, a video and podcast series from the CITRIS Policy Lab, cuts through the myths and misinformation that surround nascent technology.
Launched in 2023 and hosted by Brandie Nonnecke, the series features insights from academic and industry experts and offers strategies to harness the benefits and mitigate the risks of new tech.
Guests work to debunk deepfakes, address the ethics of AI and more.