AI, robotics, machine learning, and advanced manufacturing have profoundly impacted our society, economy, and daily lives. Yet automation is displacing workers across many industries. Algorithms are driving decision-making in powerful, unseen (and unforeseen) ways. New platforms and networks are reshaping how we view and engage with our world.
The Block Center seeks out results-oriented projects that align with our three focus areas: how emerging technologies will alter the future of work, how AI and analytics can be harnessed responsibly for social good, and how innovation in these spaces can be more inclusive and improve quality of life for all. We then support work that shows the greatest promise for delivering actionable policy impact.
Featured
Transition 2024-2025: Harnessing Technology for Future Prosperity
In a time of rapid technological advancement, the future of prosperity depends on how we harness the transformative power of innovation. The Block Center for Technology and Society is proud to present our comprehensive transition memorandum, "Transition 2024-2025: Harnessing Technology for Future Prosperity," designed to guide policymakers, industry leaders, and society toward a thriving, equitable future.
On January 14, 2025, Erik Brynjolfsson of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and Tom Mitchell of The Block Center for Technology and Society discussed the “National Academies Report on Artificial Intelligence & The Future of Work”.
AI: Who Wins and Who Loses?
Funded by the NSF Directorate of Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIPs), the workshops aim was to address the economy-wide R&D efforts required to foster innovation and economic growth. The workshop took place on March 6-7, 2025, at Carnegie Mellon University's Block Center for Technology and Society. Watch the full conference recording on our event page.
Build Back Better 2024-2025 Subaward Announcement
Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Block Center for Technology and Society has announced the recipients of the 2024-2025 Build Back Better subawards. Nine projects across Southwestern Pennsylvania have been awarded funding to drive innovation and workforce development in robotics, advanced manufacturing, and technology equity.
AIMSEC Partnership
The Block Center for Technology and Society is to be a key partner to the newly announced cooperative research center between CMU and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The CMU/NIST AI Measurement Science & Engineering Cooperative Research Center (AIMSEC) will be a collaborative research hub bringing together experts in measurement science and evaluation with multidisciplinary AI researchers
Driving Positive Change through Community-Engaged Research
Recently, we had the privilege of catching up with Ashley Orr and Jacob Cribbs to discuss their latest paper that they presented at the Labor Employment Relations Association Conference in New York.
CMU Voter Guide to GenAI
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) allows users to create realistic images, videos, audio, and text quickly and cheaply—capabilities that can be useful in many contexts. But during elections, GenAI can be misused to manipulate and deceive voters at an unprecedented magnitude and scale. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created a new guide to educate voters about how the technology may be used by unethical parties, particularly foreign adversaries, to manipulate and misinform American voters in ways they may not recognize.
Events
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Workforce Resilience in a Changing Technological Landscape
Friday, 25 October 2024
Register for our session open to the public here.
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