4 Technology Policy Headlines in 2023

This is the third in our 2023 Year in Review listicles highlighting the top Harris news, accomplishments, and perspectives from across our community in Education, Technology, and Climate Policy. Life in the Keller Center has seen many changes this year and each day brings new challenges and successes. Here are some of the events, publications, podcasts, and achievements that shaped our thinking in Tech Policy in 2023:

Harris/AP-NORC Poll Shows Concern Regarding AI Use in 2024 Election

A study published this year from the Harris School and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows concern among U.S. adults about the use of generative artificial intelligence in next year’s election. Not only might AI be providing users with biased information about candidates, it also has the potential to direct voters to incorrect polling stations or provide inaccurate voter registration information, many individuals fear.

“The findings highlight that the public is very skeptical about any positive impacts from AI being used in the 2024 presidential elections,” said David Sterrett, NORC senior research scientist.

The majority of adults believe an increased use of AI will lead to a greater spread of misinformation and taking action to address this fear has bipartisan support.

“The survey shows people believe AI can be best used to find information about how to register to vote or cast a ballot, which is the type of technical information that AI researchers are most concerned about chatbots providing,” said Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, the interim dean and Sydney Stein Professor at Harris. “If voters are asking chatbots how to register to vote or where they can cast a ballot, there are concerns that chatbots might just make up an answer. Fortunately, this is also an area where AI companies seem attuned to making sure chatbots direct users toward more authoritative information.”

New Technology & Society Initiative Announced

Harris introduced its new two-pronged initiative for approaching innovative new technologies. The first focuses on leveraging evidence and analysis to inform technology governance. A significant amount of attention is now being paid to artificial intelligence and the regulations that may be necessary to put in place around it. The second calls for faculty and students to harness technology to address societal challenges. This may be particularly significant for those focusing on policy areas such as elections, health care, labor markets, or climate, among others.

Congressional Modernization Fellowship Connects UChicago Master’s Students with Congress on Tech Policy

The Congressional Modernization Fellowship was introduced to the University campus this spring. Fellows of this program will work alongside the United States Congress on tech solutions to help improve government efficiency and effectiveness.

This opportunity was made possible by Galen Hines-Pierce, MPP’17, and is open to first-year students in the Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) program. The fellows’ projects will focus on the use of data and computational tools that may assist in improving the workflow and operations of government.

Dr. Balu Visits Campus, Talks Advocacy, Tech Policy, and Collaboration

On October 27, Dr. Balu, development scholar, author, and advocate, visited Harris to connect with several UChicago and Harris faculty and host a student lunch, intent on observing “how the policy world is adapting to teaching.”

During his time with students, Dr. Balu described his path from physician to civil society activist. He has dedicated significant time and effort to improving performance, transparency, and accountability of the public sector in India. One of his recent interests has been to see the role of emerging technologies in government–what value it brings, but also what limits to enforce.

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