Tech Foundations for Government Staff
Georgetown Law’s Tech Foundations for Government Staff program (formerly called Tech Foundations for Congressional Staff) is an immersive program covering foundational concepts and new developments in current and emerging technologies.
Join fellow government staffers for in-depth conversations with technologists, practitioners, and academics about key areas of technology policy. Presentations will cover how various technologies work; how they’re being deployed; the policy questions they raise; and how businesses, policymakers, and civil society are addressing those questions in the real world.
Tech Foundations is designed to comply with government ethics rules. If you have questions about your ability to participate, please contact the appropriate ethics committee. Available to government attendees only.
Tech Foundations 2024
August Recess Program | August 6-8, 2024 | Georgetown Law Campus, Washington, D.C. (In-Person Only)
Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence – A three-day, in-person deep dive into how machine learning technologies work, current theories of AI regulation, and top AI areas of consideration at the federal level. The program will conclude with a careers roundtable focused on tech policy jobs in government.
This program is intended for Congressional, federal agency, and White House staff.
Agenda
Day One | Tuesday, August 6 | 10:00 am–4:45 pm | Happy Hour to Follow
10:00-10:30 | Registration
10:30–10:40 | Welcome remarks and introductions
10:40–11:00 | All AI Is Not the Same
11:00–12:00 | Finding the “AI” in Fairness
12:00–1:00 | Lunch and presentation: AI and Election Integrity in the Age of Social Media
1:00–1:30 | From Algorithms to Accountability: AI Foresight and Oversight
1:30–3:30 | Considering a Compulsory Copyright Collective Clearance System in an AI World
3:30–3:45 | Break
3:45–4:45 | Who’s Responsible When AI Takes the Wheel?
5:00 | Happy hour in conjunction with the monthly Tech Policy Happy Hour (at Present Company Public House, 438 Massachusetts Avenue NW)
Day Two | Wednesday, August 7 | 9:00 am–3:00 pm
9:00–9:30 | Registration
9:30–9:40 | Welcome remarks and introductions/recap Day One
9:40–11:00 | Law and Tech Primer: A Tour of the Changing AI Landscape
11:00–11:15 | Break
11:15–12:15 | AI Around the Globe
12:15–1:15 | Lunch and presentation: AI and National Security — Machines, Weapons, and Human Judgement
1:15–2:30 | AI and National Security Case Studies
2:30–3:00 | A Competitive View: US v. China
Day Three | Thursday, August 8 | 9:00 am–2:00 pm
9:00-9:30 | Registration
9:30–9:40 | Welcome remarks and introductions/recap Day One and Day Two
9:40-10:15 | Government as User of AI, Employer of AI Talent, and Procurer of AI Systems
10:15-11:00 | Government Uses of AI
11:00–11:15 | Break
11:15–11:35 | NTIA’s Open Model Weights Report
11:35–12:00 | Programming TBD
12:00–12:45 | Demystifying Algorithms in Social Media
12:45–2:00 | Lunch and panel discussion: Careers in Tech Policy on Capitol Hill and in Federal Agencies