TechTank

By Brookings InstitutionNews Technology Government Politics

TechTank episodes

January 24, 2022 How Digital Technology Is Reshaping Espionage and Intelligence-Gathering
Darrell West interviews Dr. Amy Zegart, author of a new book entitled Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The
History and Future of American Intelligence. They discuss how digital technology is transforming
espionage and why America needs to move towards more open-source data gathering.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 min
January 10, 2022 What to expect from Biden's 2022 tech agenda
2022 is shaping up to be an eventful year in tech policy. President Biden has laid out an ambitious agenda on infrastructure investment, tech regulation, COVID mitigation, antitrust policy, and AI investment, among other topics. He has nominated a number of tough-minded individuals to major administrative agencies and has signaled a strong stance on large tech platforms. At the same time, technology is playing a major role in governance and democracy problems. Some worry about the extent to which technology is fueling polarization and extremism, and endangering the future of American democracy. In this episode, Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee delve into what to expect from Biden’s tech policy agenda in 2022.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 min
December 13, 2021 Taylor Lorenz on Gen Z, Influencer Culture, and the Future of Social Media
How have teens, the most tech-savvy population of all, been navigating the internet, rife with the spread of misinformation, algorithmic discrimination and more? On TechTank, Samantha Lai will be joined by Taylor Lorenz, technology reporter for the New York Times and affiliate at the Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, to discuss how young people use the internet and why it matters.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33 min
November 29, 2021 How to Build Back Better with Telehealth
The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated the unprecedented growth of telehealth. What should
lawmakers keep in mind to create an equitable and inclusive healthcare system for all? On this episode
of TechTank, Brookings researcher and guest host Samantha Lai is joined by Nicol Turner Lee and Niam
Yaraghi to discuss these important questions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39 min
November 15, 2021 In the U.S.A.’s tech-driven economy, is enough being done to protect consumer choice and privacy?
There is much public debate about whether big tech giants, airlines, and even cable providers are monopolists that maximize shareholder profit at the expense of consumers and workers. Is enough being done to protect consumer privacy and choice? On this episode, guest host Bill Baer is joined by Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, to discuss the FTC’s efforts to promote competition, protect consumer privacy, and challenge unfair and deceptive business practices.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
43 min
November 01, 2021 What lies ahead for the US-China tech race?
The US’s relationship with China has grown complicated over the years, with increasing tensions on issues ranging from trade and commerce to technology innovation and national security. On this episode of TechTank, host Darrell West is joined by Tom Wheeler and David Simpson to talk about the state of the US-China tech race, and what to expect going forward.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33 min
October 18, 2021 What life in space teaches astronauts about solving challenges on planet Earth
On this episode of TechTank, veteran NASA astronaut Nicole Stott joins host Darrell West to discuss space tourism, the future of space exploration, and her new book, “Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission to Protect It.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 min
October 04, 2021 Online behavioral advertising can be discriminatory, so what’s the plan to fix this?
On social media, advertisers can use online tools to target people of color in housing, banking, and employment, resulting in limits to the opportunities available to them, and even violations of their civil rights. In this episode, host Nicol Turner Lee is joined by Jinyan Zang, Harvard Kennedy School fellow, and Dominique Harrison of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies to discuss new research on Facebook’s ad model and proposals to remedy such biases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 min
September 20, 2021 Why schools still need a remote option to mitigate COVID-19
As the new school year begins, COVID cases are on the rise again – this time hitting K-12 students, especially those who are unvaccinated and under 12, placing them at risk of hospitalizations and dangerous complications. School closures may once again be imminent if the virus is not better controlled. But students without reliable access to the internet will be left behind once again, and unable to access remote classes and the resources necessary for them to continue their education. Have we closed the digital divide for students since the first wave of the pandemic? And what do schools need to do to ensure that technology is complementing traditional education?

Brookings TechTank co-host Nicol Turner Lee is joined by Jon Valant, Amina Fazlullah, and Alejandro Roark to discuss these important questions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
47 min
September 08, 2021 Which U.S. Cities Are Poised for AI Growth?
As the AI economy grows, there is tremendous variation across local and regional economies in how
well-positioned cities are. Some metropolitan areas have tremendous assets and lots of AI-related
activity while others see little activity. Those variations raise interesting questions about which places
are doing well, why, and what other communities can do to boost technology innovation in their local
economies. To learn more, Darrell West is joined by Mark Muro and Sifan Liu, co-authors of a new paper
entitled “AI Cities: The Geography of the AI Economy.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 min

About TechTank

From the publisher's feed

TechTank is a biweekly podcast from The Brookings Institution exploring the most consequential technology issues of our time. From artificial intelligence and racial bias in…