Gathering the thought leaders in technology and public policy, the School of Information, Goldman School of Public Policy, and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) hosted UC Berkeley’s inaugural Technology Policy Week. Throughout the four-day event, which ran from October 20 to October 23, experts hosted panels and workshops to recount their experiences working in public policy and to give advice to the next generation of technology and policy leaders. In particular, the 2024-2025 Tech Policy Fellows and the Executive Fellows in Applied Technology Policy presented their year-long research projects and shared some crucial lessons learned from throughout the last few years of their civic careers.
“It was particularly gratifying to see the innovative projects of the Executive Fellows in Applied Technology Policy highlighted throughout the week,” said Eric Meyer, Dean of the School of Information. “The Fellows were full of praise for the students and faculty they worked with and uniformly expressed gratitude for Berkeley providing them the opportunity to reflect more deeply on their interests and expertise. Berkeley was able to attract these absolute rockstars to campus, and our students and entire community benefited from their interactions.”
Workshop topics throughout the week included “Strengthening Disability-Inclusive Technology Policymaking,” “Establishing AI Risk Thresholds and Red Lines: A Critical Global Policy Priority, Better,” “Bigger Ambitions for AI,” and more.
In the session, “Inspiring Innovation and Experimentation in Government,” Executive Fellow Marcela Escobar-Alava, who served as the Former Chief Information Officer of the Social Security Administration (SSA), shared that many government agencies tend to fill upper management roles with those already in the organization. This means that these agencies don’t interact with outside talent and often build on existing processes rather than introducing new ones. During her time as the CIO, Escobar-Alava sought to turn this trend on its head and began investing in talent that had the right background for the organization, regardless of whether or not they had previously worked for the federal government.
She also brought in subject matter experts to offer business insights and had product teams sit down with customer service representatives to hear first-hand comments from the public. These changes allowed new ideas to circulate and for the teams to be more in tune with the public’s wants and needs — allowing them to make the appropriate decisions to serve their communities. “Consumers expect things to be simple and intuitive, and the government needs to think about this when building products,” said Escobar-Alava. Similar sentiments were echoed by Executive Fellows Merici Vinton and Vera Zakem in other seminars throughout the week.
“This is such an important moment to manifest our longstanding values in how we choose to design, use, and refuse technology and our collaboration in research, teaching, and service will help California and the country do this important work for and with the public.”
Fellows also emphasized the importance of transparency and credibility in the government process. During a session run by Executive Fellow Denice Ross, former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, panelists discussed the handling of federal data. Ross stated that many federal data sets were at risk of being removed or could suffer as a result of staffing shortages and additional red tape.
One of the most critical issues addressed was what Merici Vinton called “a crisis of legitimacy” in the government. Public trust is on a steep decline, and people are less willing to give their data to the government. “When filling out a form, do people trust the government to handle it properly? Do people trust the data that is coming out of the government?” Ross asked. “The perception of whether the data is trustworthy is just as important as whether or not it actually is being manipulated.” As a result, many Executive Fellows, including Ross, discussed the importance of letting the public know about how their data is being used, where to find the right information for their questions, and what the government is working on.
Lastly, a panel of Tech Policy Fellows and Executive Fellows shared key insights in pursuing careers in technology policy. Panelists noted the diversity of paths that led them to their roles and noted that they all had very different experiences prior to serving in government. For example, Executive Fellow Alan Davidson had worked as an attorney, a consultant, and eventually as vice president of the Mozilla Foundation before working in public policy. Similarly, Marcela Escobar-Alava was the Chief Information Officer at Sony Pictures before her time working in the White House. The panelists encouraged participants to pursue their passions and build their own path, whether by building a technical background first or by entering public service as soon as possible.
The Summit
The week culminated with the UC Berkeley Tech Policy Summit, which examined the intersection of research, public sentiment, and policymaking in an era of rapid technological change.
"In an era where technological change outpaces existing policy frameworks, the Tech Policy Summit provided a vital space for policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to proactively address the complex challenges of data privacy, AI ethics, and more," said Dean David Wilson. "The summit's focus on California highlighted how the Golden State is a leader in developing the policies necessary to build a more just and sustainable digital future for all."
The first panel, “The View from California: Public Opinion,” featured researchers, advocates, policymakers, and journalists who unpacked recent survey data on Californians’ attitudes toward technology, showing that, while Californians are optimistic about the innovation that new technology can bring, they worry about data privacy, online safety, and the scope of government oversight. Overall, they worry most about the future and whether their jobs and children will be negatively affected by artificial intelligence. Annette Bernhardt from the UCB Labor Center zeroed in on this fear, stating, “The 21st century labor laws are going to be about technology and how employers use them.”
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan then took the stage, emphasizing the importance of legislation in protecting children from online harms and in holding tech companies accountable for the environmental impact of their data centers. “Our kids think that the tooth fairy is real; how are they supposed to know that chatbots aren’t?” she asked and pointed to her groundbreaking bill as a method to safeguard children from the growing risks of artificial intelligence. Bauer-Kahan also addressed the belief that regulation stifles innovation, stating that she believes that good safety leads to more business and a more transparent technology ecosystem that can benefit both companies and consumers.
State Senator Tom Umberg delivered a keynote address, drawing on his extensive experience in law and technology, emphasizing bipartisan opportunities to ensure technology serves the public good, particularly through data security, digital equity, and AI governance. He urged constituents to reach out to their local legislators with issues and ideas that they have.
The late-morning panel, “The View from California: Tech Policy Progress and Aspirations,” took a deeper dive into the state’s recent legislative milestones. Panelists discussed bills advancing privacy, transparency, and online safety, while sharing aspirations for more robust frameworks around algorithmic accountability, worker protections, and maintaining the nation’s research capacity in the years ahead.
Later in the afternoon, Randi Michel, senior advisor for technology to Gov. Gavin Newsom, offered a forward-looking perspective on how California agencies are implementing innovative, responsible tech practices in government operations and public services. “We need to make sure technology serves people, not the other way around,” she said. “Smart regulation builds trust and trust builds innovation. Until Washington steps up, California will step up.”
The summit concluded with lunchtime policy roundtables, where attendees joined small-group discussions on next steps for research, advocacy, and policymaking. Participants, including the 2024–25 UC Berkeley Tech Policy Fellows and Executive Fellows in Applied Technology Policy, shared ideas for cross-sector collaboration and strategies to align California’s innovation economy with public interest values.
“I’m excited about the collaboration with the Goldman School, bringing these two world-class schools together to train the next generation of tech policy professionals,” Professor Deirdre Mulligan of the School of Information and former Principal Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer of the Office of Technology and Policy stated. “This is such an important moment to manifest our longstanding values in how we choose to design, use, and refuse technology, and our collaboration in research, teaching, and service will help California and the country do this important work for and with the public.”
