PILOT Lab Class

Catalog description

This course introduces you to current "hot-button" issues in technology policy and law through the eyes of policymakers, asking you to advance their conversations. The early weeks of the course introduce you to the substantive legal, technical, and policy background around these issues. The later weeks shift toward problem solving and building concrete, public-facing projects, working in interdisciplinary teams. The projects in this class are tailored to meet the current research needs of particular federal and state lawmakers and agencies based on their legislative and regulatory agendas for the year. Possible policy coverage and project areas include connected health; consumer/ investor protection in security and privacy; disinformation, governance, and tech literacy; internet availability and net neutrality; sustainability and ethics in computing design; the Internet of Things and the right to repair; machine learning/ AI suitability; tech competition; computing history; and tech workforce development. Successful projects will be shared with the policymakers whose work they advance.