TODAY: Knight invests $50M to build a new field of research

Jay OwenTrendspotting, Information Technology Issues

There’s no question that technology has helped make life more convenient. We can connect to friends and family, access basic services, and even find love with just the quick swipe of a finger.

But now we’re facing worrying signs that the technology revolution has introduced new vulnerabilities to democracy. From privacy concerns over an app that manipulates pictures of our faces to congressional hearings about regulating social media companies, it’s clear that we are confronting urgent and fundamental questions about how democracy can thrive in the digital age.

Part of the answer is to cultivate far greater knowledge and understanding than we have today about how technology is influencing our society. And acquiring that knowledge will require new methods, new minds and new collaborations.

That is why Knight is making a nearly $50 million investment to accelerate a growing field of research around how society is informed in the digital age.

 

 

The funding will support new, cross-disciplinary research at 11 American universities and research institutions, including the creation of five new centers of study — each reflecting different approaches to understanding technology’s impact on democracy.

It also includes $11 million for future investments that support policy and legal research on the rules of the road for digital services and platforms.

Our hope is to amplify the voices of those giving life to this emergent field, one we are confident will be of enduring and essential value for years to come.

You can learn more about the investment and the research institutions it’s supporting here.