AI Policy Development: Leveraging Social Science to Ensure Responsible Generative AI

Catalog description

How can we develop policies to ensure emerging technology benefits users and our society at large? In this policy practicum, students will learn to leverage social science research to formulate AI policy recommendations for a major tech company that is currently building GenAI products. Over the past few years, as generative AI burst onto the consumer scene, AI policy has become a major priority for governments and private companies worldwide, as they seek to ensure that rapidly emerging technology is used and deployed responsibly and for the benefit of humans and their communities. But companies in Silicon Valley have been grappling with technology policy challenges since longe before GenAI, and social scientists have been studying the societal impact of technology for just as long. In this course, students will study particular AI policy challenges, such as ethics, safety, customization, personalization, and global deployment, through the lens of social science research on the intersection of politics, society, and emerging technologies. They will learn to convert research findings into clear, actionable policy recommendations, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how to research, draft, and present AI policies. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the skills to make meaningful contributions to AI policy in either the private or the public sector, contributing to global efforts to ensure technology advancements are aligned with societal values and needs.