Commentary
Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation Fellow Ami Fields-Meyer lays out research questions for developing a new U.S. tech policy agenda that puts people first.
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At its best, digital technology makes life safer, healthier, and more empowering for people – but the products and practices of today’s largely self-governed tech industry too often limit people’s agency, undermine their economic stability, violate their rights and privacy, and do not meaningfully include them in decisions that will affect their own lives.
Research and reporting have shown that AI surveillance systems track workers’ every move, leading to workplace injuries. Corporate landlords and supermarket chains use AI and algorithms to artificially hike the costs of rent and groceries. Crypto tools, sometimes marketed as helping marginalized communities build wealth, are plagued by operational delays and hidden fees. Social media platforms surveil young people, selling their data and feeding them harmful content.
Despite these documented harms, the United States has never established rigorous governance of technology. Though public policy in a democratic society is forged in the clash and compromise between interests, American tech policy is often anchored by the narratives and norms of corporations that leverage well-financed political machinery to set the terms of debate. The result is a persistent gap in priorities, incentives, and power between a few large tech companies and the ordinary people who live with the real-world impact of their decisions.
It is imperative that today’s policymakers mobilize around a new tech agenda that puts people first – a proactive vision for American society against which the nation’s leaders can measure the impact of each new advanced technology and make room for the American consumers, workers, and communities (“ordinary people”) in the innovation economy:
These questions are the focus of my time as a Senior Fellow with the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Through interviews, workshops, and other research, I am studying and developing policy interventions that can steer technological innovation toward agency, economic security, and opportunity for American consumers, workers, and communities. For the purposes of my research, I define these terms as follows:
There are substantial gaps in Americans’ understanding of how data, digital technologies, and tech governance shape daily life. My research places a special emphasis on policy interventions that capture the public imagination, as well as messaging frames that effectively tie these challenges to issues that the American public is already concerned about and organized – such as healthcare, worker rights, and individual liberties. My work draws on the interdisciplinary expertise of academic research, policy design, political strategy, communications, and movement building.
I look forward to engaging with and learning from members of the Harvard community. If you are interested in this work, please contact me at afieldsmeyer@hks.harvard.edu.
Ami Fields-Meyer is Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Allen Lab. He served in the White House from 2021 to 2024, including as senior policy advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Earlier this year, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation hosted a convening on the Political Economy of AI. This collection of essays from leading scholars and experts raise critical questions surrounding power, governance, and democracy as they consider how technology can better serve the public interest.
Additional Resource
As a part of the Allen Lab’s Political Economy of AI Essay Collection, David Gray Widder and Mar Hicks draw on the history of tech hype cycles to warn against the harmful effects of the current generative AI bubble.
Additional Resource
As a part of the Allen Lab’s Political Economy of AI Essay Collection, Emily S Lin and Marshall Ganz call on us to reckon with how humans create, exercise, and structure power, in hopes of meeting our current technological moment in a way that aligns with our values.
Earlier this year, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation hosted a convening on the Political Economy of AI. This collection of essays from leading scholars and experts raise critical questions surrounding power, governance, and democracy as they consider how technology can better serve the public interest.
Additional Resource
As a part of the Allen Lab’s Political Economy of AI Essay Collection, David Gray Widder and Mar Hicks draw on the history of tech hype cycles to warn against the harmful effects of the current generative AI bubble.
Additional Resource
As a part of the Allen Lab’s Political Economy of AI Essay Collection, Emily S Lin and Marshall Ganz call on us to reckon with how humans create, exercise, and structure power, in hopes of meeting our current technological moment in a way that aligns with our values.
