
Can We Trust Tech?

People like me, we are defenseless against disinformation operatives.
Setup
What is trust? “A firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” (We googled it). How much, not to mention who, we should trust is more complex now, given the technological tools we have at our disposal and the crafty creatives who might push the world’s next great product, or the next fake story, or — far worse — the hackers who can seriously damage personal or global security. The pace with which we receive and share information is outstripping our ability to consume it, much less give it critical analysis. Whose “facts” are the closest to the truth? Questions of trust in tech loom large in 2019. Election security. Disinformation campaigns. Privacy. We transfer money across the globe with a password and a click; we post to social media; we buy online and thus provide data all the time. But we also access educational resources in ways that have catalyzed social mobility in all sectors of society. We share stories, images, and support in ways that build community as never before. When it comes to technology, how accepting should we be? These discussions examine the realities of trust in tech, the best of tech, and the challenges — and solutions — we have as the world of tech increasingly touches every aspect of our lives.
Speakers
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Craig NewmarkFounder of craigslist
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Fred HumphriesChief public policy advocate for Microsoft
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Evan MarwellFounder of Education SuperHighway
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Susan GoldbergEditorial Director, National Geographic
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Timothy WuProfessor at Columbia Law School
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Nicholas ThompsonEditor in chief of WIRED
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Ben BoydChief Client Strategy Officer for Edelman
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Alex StamosCybersecurity professor and scholar at Stanford University
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Betsy CooperDirector of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Tech Policy Hub
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Michael ChuiSenior Partner at McKinsey & Company
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Jim BildnerCEO of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation
- 2019 Festival
- Technology
- World
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