{"id":37058,"date":"2024-07-11T15:03:20","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T15:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicknowledge.org\/?p=37058"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:36:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T16:36:21","slug":"2024-emerging-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicknowledge.org\/2024-emerging-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Emerging Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Public Knowledge hosts Emerging Tech to bring together public interest advocates, policymakers, and companies on the cutting edge of technology. The event helps inform policymakers about the promise, potential pitfalls, and policy implications of fast-moving tech dominating headlines and impacting our society in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We invite industry experts from across the country to join us for an all-day discussion as well as a reception and tech showcase, where guests can experience the latest technologies first-hand and get to know the people driving the next iteration of the internet.

In 2024, the event focused on generative AI, XR technologies, and the decentralized web. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) keynoted the event. Congresswoman Eshoo reflected on the major advances in technology she has seen since she first entered Congress in 1993, and the new challenges this rapid progress presents to consumer protection and national security, especially with the emergence of large language models and generative artificial intelligence (GAI). She highlighted the \u201cCreating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023<\/a>\u201d (CREATE AI Act), which she co-authored to create the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource or NAIRR, a shared national research infrastructure to provide AI researchers and students with greater access to the complex resources, data, and tools needed to develop safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence. You can watch the keynote here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Speakers from Foundation for American Innovation, Holo Hosting, and Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web joined Public Knowledge moderator and Policy Counsel Nick Garcia in a conversation on The Decentralized Web: Solutions for the Challenges of Centralized Technology<\/strong><\/a>. The panelists discussed the history and trajectory of decentralized web technologies and addressed issues related to user experience and the preservation of digital knowledge, highlighting the importance of user agency, trust, and competition in the digital age. You can watch the panel here<\/a>.
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<\/a>Speakers from EQTYLab, Creative Commons\u2019s Open Climate Campaign, BandLab, and Metagov delivered a series of short talks about different approaches to the design and development of AI for Public Good<\/strong><\/a>. The speakers discussed AI systems integrated with cryptographic authentication and verification to improve trustworthiness and reliability, generative AI systems that support musicians both through the creation of new tools as well as voluntarily-adopted practices for sourcing training data, and the growing movement for Public AI. You can watch the presentations and a discussion between the speakers here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Speakers from National Institute of Standards and Technology, Color of Change, and XR Association joined Tech Policy Press moderator and CEO Justin Hendrix in a conversation on Intersections with XR Technologies<\/strong><\/a>. Panelists discussed how exciting developments in extended reality (XR) technologies (which includes augmented reality [AR], virtual reality [VR], and mixed reality) overlap with some of the most critical tech policy issues in D.C. today: privacy, AI, and inclusive design. They highlighted the rise of XR convergence and the industrial metaverse, as well as challenges to creating policy and ensuring accessibility for all consumers. You can watch the panel here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Professor Jeff Jarvis of Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and CEO and Editor Justin Hendrix of Tech Policy Press each presented a talk sharing a Perspective on Media and Emerging Technology<\/strong>. Professor Jeff Jarvis discussed the \u201cJournalism Competition and Preservation Act<\/a>,\u201d mis- and disinformation, and the perils and opportunities of AI for media companies. Justin Hendrix discussed the traits that distinguish XR from other digital communications technologies and its implications for the human species. You can watch Professor Jeff Jarvis\u2019s talk here<\/a> and watch Justin Hendrix\u2019s talk here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Emerging Tech 2024 also hosted the launch of an Open Future Foundation report on an Alignment Assembly on AI and the Commons<\/a>. Report author Shannon Hong presented on the innovative Alignment Assembly methodology used to survey participants in the Open Culture movement about their attitudes towards AI before moderating a conversation between co-author Alek Tarkowski and EleutherAI Head of Policy and Ethics, Aviya Skowron. The conversation showcased the report\u2019s primary finding \u2013 two relatively distinct attitudes developing towards AI represented by the conversation\u2019s participants. You can watch the report presentation and conversation here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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