Addressing Challenges at the Intersection of Civil Rights and Technology
Summary
Modern civil rights challenges are technically complex. Today, decisions made by algorithms, rather than people, limit opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups in critical areas like housing, employment, and credit. The next administration should establish a broad, new task force, led by the U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO), to address issues at the intersection of civil rights and emerging technologies. The task force should encourage federal agencies to prioritize regulatory and enforcement activities where tech and civil rights overlap, and to increase temporary exchanges of staff between agencies to facilitate cross-pollination of civil rights and tech expertise. The Administration should also prioritize appointment of key agency personnel who are committed to addressing tech/civil rights challenges.
Congress should foster a more responsive and evidence-based ecosystem for GenAI-powered educational tools, ensuring that they are equitable, effective, and safe for all students.
Without independent research, we do not know if the AI systems that are being deployed today are safe or if they pose widespread risks that have yet to be discovered, including risks to U.S. national security.
Companies that store children’s voice recordings and use them for profit-driven applications without parental consent pose serious privacy threats to children and families.
Privacy laws are only effective if they include civil rights protections that ensure personal data is processed safely and fairly regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, or other protected characteristics.