A Force for Good in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Block Center for Technology and Society at Carnegie Mellon University was established to examine the societal consequences of technological change and to create meaningful plans of action.
National Academy of Sciences Report
Read the 2017 U.S. NASEM report, authored by Tom Mitchell, E. Fredkin University Professor of Machine Learning and Computer Science, on Information Technology and the Future of Work and his paper on Economic Consequences of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
NSF Funds Block Center Projects
Tracking the effects of emerging technologies on manufacturing industries. Re-skilling marginalized workers for the digital economy. Helping low-income mothers get to work. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, and we're making sure no one is left behind. Learn more about our three projects funded by the National Science Foundation.
Congressional Hearing: Equitable Algorithms: Examining Ways to Reduce AI Bias in Financial Services
- Prof. Rayid Ghani
Congressional Roundtable: Critical Considerations for Restarting a More Resilient and Robust US Economy Post COVID-19
Congressional Roundtable: Disinformation One Month from the Election
Congressional Testimony: Trade, Manufacturing, & Critical Supply Chains: Lessons from COVID-19
- Prof. Erica Fuchs
Focus Areas
The Future of Work
How will technology change the nature of work? What types of jobs will no longer be done by humans? Who is at risk of being left behind?
Artificial Intelligence & Analytics For Good
How can artificial intelligence and analytics increase justice and reduce inequality? Can we design algorithms which are transparent and fair? How do we design machines that are worthy of our trust?
Seeding Societal Futures
How can technology be used to reskill displaced workers? What new work opportunities will technology create? What solutions can we create to alleviate human suffering?
Recent & Upcoming Events
- Jun 9 Professor Erica Fuchs testifies before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology on “Building Regional Innovation Economies"
- May 27 Faculty Dialogues: The Future of Work
- May 26 Dean Ramayya Krishnan speaks at the launch of the Commission on Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data
- Oct 19 Artificial Intelligence for Data Discovery and Reuse (AIDR) Symposium 2020
- Oct 6 Combatting Disinformation One Month from the Election: What State and Local Policy Makers Can Do
- Oct 1 Improving Fairness & Equity in Policy Applications of Machine Learning
- Sep 30 COVID, Tech and Local Government: Making an Impact at the City-Level
In The News
- 90.5 WESA - Anxiety Runs High As Pennsylvania Begins Massive Overhaul Of 60-Year-Old Unemployment Computer System
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - From resilient supply chains to secure data, new commission studies 'geopolitics' of tech
- FastCompany - Is it time for an algorithm bill of rights? These analysts think so
- Financial Times - Airbnb pricing algorithm led to increased racial disparities, study finds
- The Hill - Americans are still waiting for stimulus checks — let states and localities distribute them
- Vox - Will apps like PayPal and Venmo make financial inequality worse?
- Quartz - Uber wants to work with public transit agencies—but first it needs their trust
- The Wall Street Journal - Smartphone Location Data Can Leave Out Those Most Hit by Covid-19