Baobao Zhang is a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow affiliated with the Department of Government at Cornell University. In Fall 2021, she will be an assistant professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Ms. Zhang’s current research focuses on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI), studying public and elite opinion toward AI and how the American welfare state could adapt to the increasing automation of labor. Her previous research covered a wide range of topics, including the politics of the U.S. welfare state, attitudes towards climate change, and survey methodology. Ms. Zhang’s work has been published in PLOS One, Political Analysis, the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, and Nature Climate Change.
Event Overview
Researchers in Cornell’s Tech Policy Lab warn of the expanding gap between technology and policy and draw upon the broadest range of disciplines to understand how AI can empower as well as pose challenges to governments. Cornell’s Moral Psychology research group in our Sage School of Philosophy leads the world in the study of ethical human behavior and is applying the framework of moral decision making to the complex issues related to the ethical use of technology in the 4IR.
Join us for an interactive discussion with leading experts on the enormous changes and considerations in how we can enact policy that supports democracy and an ethical society.
This event is hosted by Ray Jayawardhana, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts & Sciences, as part of the Arts Unplugged series. It is sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences and Alumni Affairs and Development.
What You'll Learn
- How has politics already been shaped and disrupted by technology and artificial intelligence?
- If intelligent machines are going to be a part of our political system, can they make ethical decisions?
- How can we develop public policy that harnesses the positive aspects of artificial intelligence?
- How can malicious actors be reined in, and how can we minimize their potential to harm our democracy?
Speakers
Andrew Ross Sorkin is a financial columnist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” Mr. Sorkin is also the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, a news site published by the Times. He is the author of the bestselling book “Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System and Themselves,” which chronicled the events of the 2008 financial crisis. Mr. Sorkin co-produced an HBO adaptation of the book, which was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards. He is also co-creator of Showtime’s drama series “Billions.” Mr. Sorkin has won numerous journalistic honors, including two Gerald Loeb Awards, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He started writing for the Times in 1995, while still in high school.
Sarah Kreps is a Professor of Government and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell University, and a Faculty Fellow in the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity at Cornell Tech in NYC. She is the author of five books on topics related to U.S. national security, technology, and policy.
Shaun Nichols is a Professor of Philosophy at Cornell University. He works at the intersection of philosophy and cognitive science, where his research is concerned with the psychological underpinnings of philosophical thought. He is the author of “Sentimental Rules: On the Natural Foundations of Moral Judgment,” “Bound: Essays on Free Will and Moral Responsibility,” and “Rational Rules: Towards a Theory of Moral Learning,” and he has published over 100 articles in academic journals in philosophy and psychology.

Baobao Zhang is a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow affiliated with the Department of Government at Cornell University. In Fall 2021, she will be an assistant professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Ms. Zhang’s current research focuses on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI), studying public and elite opinion toward AI and how the American welfare state could adapt to the increasing automation of labor. Her previous research covered a wide range of topics, including the politics of the U.S. welfare state, attitudes towards climate change, and survey methodology. Ms. Zhang’s work has been published in PLOS One, Political Analysis, the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, and Nature Climate Change.

Andrew Ross Sorkin is a financial columnist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” Mr. Sorkin is also the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, a news site published by the Times. He is the author of the bestselling book “Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System and Themselves,” which chronicled the events of the 2008 financial crisis. Mr. Sorkin co-produced an HBO adaptation of the book, which was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards. He is also co-creator of Showtime’s drama series “Billions.” Mr. Sorkin has won numerous journalistic honors, including two Gerald Loeb Awards, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He started writing for the Times in 1995, while still in high school.

Sarah Kreps is a Professor of Government and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell University, and a Faculty Fellow in the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity at Cornell Tech in NYC. She is the author of five books on topics related to U.S. national security, technology, and policy.

Shaun Nichols is a Professor of Philosophy at Cornell University. He works at the intersection of philosophy and cognitive science, where his research is concerned with the psychological underpinnings of philosophical thought. He is the author of “Sentimental Rules: On the Natural Foundations of Moral Judgment,” “Bound: Essays on Free Will and Moral Responsibility,” and “Rational Rules: Towards a Theory of Moral Learning,” and he has published over 100 articles in academic journals in philosophy and psychology.
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