I learned about the field of public interest technology through a self-curated independent study. Here are the resources that were instrumental in my journey.

Congressional Hearings

I used Capitol Hill as my classroom to learn about the legislative process and policymaking. Congressional hearings are generally open to the public and many are live-streamed on YouTube. These sessions offer a valuable glimpse into understanding which tech policy issues are top of mind for Members of Congress and how they think about them.

Jurisdiction on tech policy is spread across a number of House and Senate Committees but the following are generally the most active on hot button issues:

• Senate Commerce Committee

• Senate Judiciary Committee

• House Energy and Commerce Committee

In addition, these Senators are known to hold the deepest understanding of technology-related topics within Congress:

• Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

• Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)

AI Now Institute

The AI Now Institute at NYU deepened my awareness of the social implications of artificial intelligence. Through research and storytelling and a multi-disciplinary approach, the Institute provides behind-the-scenes insights about harmful AI from those at the frontlines. In the past they’ve explored AI systems across a wide range of contexts, from automated allocation of social services, to policing and border control, to worker surveillance and exploitation.

Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway

Unapologetic and irreverent, Kara and Scott are who I turn to for sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. Their podcast, Pivot, offers the tech-obsessed deep perspective into the increasing power of tech platforms and its implications on society from industry legends.

Lawfare

I stumbled upon Lawfare’s Podcast while in an internet rabbit hole, and use it as a resource to cement my understanding of tech and law. The time-constrained should focus on the weekly Arbiters of Truth sub-series, which specifically looks at disinformation and misinformation in the run-up to the 2020 U.S. election and other debates around political discourse, online speech and social media platforms playing out in the headlines.

Washington Post and Politico Morning Briefings

While there are any number of newsletters on public interest tech topics, I believe the Washington Post’s and Politico’s are the best. I subscribe to the WaPo Technology 202 and Cybersecurity 202 and Politico Morning Tech to get a read on the latest headlines, know which Congressional hearings are coming up, learn about transitions, and more.