At the Block Center for Technology and Society, we bridge cutting-edge research with actionable policy
to address some of today’s most pressing societal challenges. Our work brings together Carnegie Mellon University faculty and partners across disciplines to generate insights that shape the future of work, guide the responsible use of technology, and inform evidence-based policymaking. Explore our publications, seed-funded projects, and opportunities to engage with research that drives impact.
Research
Learn how the Block Center invests in innovative, interdisciplinary projects that generate new evidence and expand the frontiers of policy-relevant research.
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Block Center Events
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Past Block Center Events
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Block Center News
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Our Affiliated Faculty
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Our Staff
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Cole Gessner
Program Manager and Policy Coordinator
Kirsten Martin
Dean, Heinz College and Interim Block Center Faculty Director
Annual Reports
2024 Media Highlights
- The Hill, July 5, 2023 – Back to the Future: Look to the 1980s for guidance on AI management
- PwC, April 19, 2023 – Generative AI: What it really means for business
- InformationWeek, January 23, 2023 – How Will the AI Bill of Rights Affect AI Development?
- CMU News, September 2, 2022 – Carnegie Mellon, Region, To Share Benefits of $62.7M Build Back Better Grant
- Technical.ly, July 25, 2022 – AI for good? Why CMU's Block Center funds research into responsible use of the tech
- CMU News, April 19, 2022 – CMU Dean Appointed to National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee
- CMU News, April 6, 2022 – CMU Scopeathon Ties Data Science to Better Communities
- Nature, March 15, 2022 – Impact of automation on long haul trucking operator-hours in the United States
- Reuters, June 2, 2021: Explainer: Tesla drops radar; is Autopilot system safe?
- WESA, May 31, 2021: Anxiety Runs High As Pennsylvania Begins Massive Overhaul Of 60-Year-Old Unemployment Computer System
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 27, 2021: From resilient supply chains to secure data, new commission studies 'geopolitics' of tech
- Bloomberg, May 19, 2021: Waymo Eyes Raising Up to $4 Billion as Leaders’ Exits Sow Doubts
- ExBulletin, May 19, 2021: Increased road fatalities demand improved vehicle technology
- Science Times, May 18, 2021: Having More Women in Groups Increases Collective Intelligence for Decision Making, Study Reveals
- Fast Company, May 18, 2021: Is it time for an algorithm bill of rights? These analysts think so
- BusinessWorld, May 14, 2021: Innovative ‘lifesavers’ on the road
- CNN, May 13, 2021: Wait, does this mean the pandemic is over for vaccinated people?
- CNN, May 13, 2021: Others have tried free doughnuts, beers and gift cards. Now, Ohio is betting millions to improve its vaccination rate
- Financial Times, May 13, 2021: Airbnb pricing algorithm led to increased racial disparities, study finds
- Wired, May 12, 2021: Watch a Snake Robot Go for a Swim
- CMU Tepper School of Business, May 12, 2021: Collective Intelligence Can Be Predicted and Quantified, New Study Finds
- Mind Matters, May 8, 2021: Sci-Fi Could Come to Life if You Fall for a DeepFake Friend
- The Verge, May 7, 2021: The Autonomous Vehicle Market is Shrinking - It's Overdue
- CMU Tepper School of Business, May 7, 2021: Analysis: Businesses Have a Moral Duty to Explain How Algorithms Make Decisions That Affect People
- Futurism, May 4, 2021: Professor Warns of “Nightmare” Bots That Prey on Vulnerable People
- TechRepublic, May 4, 2021: Regulators weigh limiting cryptocurrencies, but need to understand their role first, experts say
- The Daily (University of Washington), May 3, 2021: Expanding accessibility in virtual reality
- Financial Times, April 28, 2021: Covid has shown the subjective nature of risk perception
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 21, 2021: Carnegie Mellon, Heinz Endowments Launch Initiative to Promote Economic Empowerment, Address Inequities in Pittsburgh Region
- Pittsburgh Business Times, April 27, 2021: Proposed amendment to Endless Frontier Act could speed up autonomous vehicle testing
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 21, 2021: Who Is Marginalized In Energy Justice?
- CIO Dive, April 19, 2021: Video conferencing can hurt collaboration. IT has a role in fixing it
- Bloomberg, April 13, 2021: France Short-Haul Flight Ban Points Way Toward Cleaner Aviation
- The Hill, April 8, 2021: Americans are still waiting for stimulus checks — let states and localities distribute them
- Vox, April 7, 2021: Will apps like PayPal and Venmo make financial inequality worse?
- Tech Xplore, April 6, 2021: Inferring what we share by how we share
- Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2021: Smartphone Location Data Can Leave Out Those Most Hit by Covid-19
- Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2021: Robinhood Trader’s Battle Cry: ‘It’s All Just a Game to Me’
- Marketplace, March 25, 2021: Slack’s Walkback of Its New DM Feature Is a Sign of User Power
- Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2021: Marketers Plan Giveaways for Covid-19 Vaccine Recipients
- Foreign Affairs, March 19, 2021: Decoupling Won’t Kill a Green Future
- Philadelphia Inquirer, March 17, 2021: Two Pa. prisons have vaccinated more than 70% of inmates. An incentive program may be making a difference.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 17, 2021: Two Pa. prisons with incentive program have vaccinated more than 70% of inmates
- WESA, March 8, 2021: Pittsburgh Researchers Use AI To Study Bias in Bollywood, Hollywood Films
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 7, 2021: Looking for work? Some industries are inching toward recovery while others are still struggling
- Pharmacy Times, March 3, 2021: Study: Diabetes Patients' Use of Mobile Health App Found to Improve Health Outcomes, Lower Medical Costs
- WESA, February 25, 2021: Pittsburgh Researchers Use AI To Study Bias in Bollywood, Hollywood Films
- EurekAlert!, February 24, 2021: Diabetes patients use of mobile health app found to improve health outcomes, lower medical costs
- Quartz, February 19, 2021: Uber wants to work with public transit agencies—but first it needs their trust
- Carnegie Mellon University News, February 11, 2021: The Next Four Years of Climate and Environmental Policy
- Mashable, February 8, 2021: As Amazon union vote starts, AFL-CIO's tech think tank considers future of labor
- MIT Technology Review, February 5, 2021: Predictive policing is still racist—whatever data it uses
- Forbes, February 4, 2021: How Secure Are Your Financial Accounts And How To Protect Yourself
- Salon, February 3, 2021: Don’t blame Fox News for the attack on the Capitol
- Inside Big Data, January 30, 2021: Federal Reserve Considering Formal Request for Public Feedback about the Adoption of AI in the Financial Services Sector
- IEEE Spectrum, January 19, 2021: It’s Too Easy to Hide Bias in Deep-Learning Systems
- Chicago Booth Review, January 4, 2021: ‘Mental money laundering’ lifts constraints on spending morally questionable income
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 16, 2020: Pandemic scrambles seasonal hiring patterns
- Fast Company, November 5, 2020: Why serendipitous interactions in the office made us feel productive
- Forbes, October 29, 2020: New Data Shows Women Are Being Pushed Out Of The Workforce By A ‘Termination Gap’
- TribLIVE, October 28, 2020: Carnegie Mellon study finds severe polarization in political language
- WITF, October 27, 2020: Smart Talk Wednesday; COVID survey collects extensive data; Swing state Wisconsin look-in; Trusting News
- Vox, October 26, 2020: How racism amplifies Covid-19 risk for everyone
- Carnegie Mellon University, October 14, 2020: Experts Discuss Combating Disinformation One Month from the Election
- Axios, October 8, 2020: Medical ethics in pandemic times
- Carnegie Mellon University, October 1, 2020: Keep the Polls Open: CMU Data Scientists Join National Effort to Protect Voting Access During the Pandemic
- WIRED, September 18, 2020: This CIA spy game reveals the secrets of successful teams
- Science Magazine, September 17, 2020: Pandemic inspires new push to shrink jails and prisons
- The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2020: U.S. Unemployment Claims Held Steady Last Week
- InformationWeek, August 24, 2020: Unmasking the Black Box Problem of Machine Learning
- TechCrunch, August 18, 2020: How to diagnose and treat machine learning models afflicted by COVID-19
- The Verge, August 8, 2020: An important part of science is admitting when we’re wrong
- The Verge, August 4, 2020: We can’t skip steps on the road to a COVID-19 vaccine
- TribLIVE, July 25, 2020: More people willing to share location data for contact tracing, new study shows
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 6, 2020: Some Pittsburgh jobs were resilient during shutdowns; others were 'just devastated'
- Carnegie Mellon University, July 1, 2020: CMU Celebrates Picturephone's 50th Anniversary by Recreating Historic First Call
- Tech Xplore, June 29, 2020: The electric future of autonomous vehicles
- The Moonshot Catalog, June 8, 2020: Better Faster Learning
- The Washington Post, June 7, 2020: Left out: More workers now losing hope of getting back jobs
- Fast Company, May 30, 2020: Quarantine fatigue is real
- Forbes, May 26, 2020: 6 Ways You Can Stand Out In A Virtual Work Environment
- CNBC, May 14, 2020: The jobs recovery could be choppy, with some coming back quickly and others lost forever
- BBC, May 13, 2020: How AI can help us harness our 'collective intelligence'
- Carnegie Mellon University, May 12, 2020: Movie Studios Adjust to Changing COVID Dynamics
- Vox, May 6, 2020: Yoga alone, together
- WSB-TV, May 6, 2020: New tutoring program using AI to help kids learn
- WPXI, May 6, 2020: New tutoring program using AI to help kids learn
- MarketWatch, May 2, 2020: Why Americans are willing to share their personal information in drug trials but not for coronavirus contact tracing efforts
- PublicSource, May 2, 2020: Is staying home during the pandemic a luxury? Here’s what Pittsburgh-area data shows.
- Science Magazine, May 2, 2020: Against pandemic research exceptionalism
- Fast Company, April 28, 2020: This DoorDash for surplus food aims to cut waste and help solve hunger
- TechRepublic, April 27, 2020: Video meetings are awful. Try these five tips to make them better for everyone
- Science Daily, April 23, 2020: Crises are no excuse for lowering scientific standards, say ethicists
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 22, 2020: CMU Dashboard Will Help Inform State Decision-Makers During Pandemic
- Marketplace, April 22, 2020: Netflix raises more debt. Is it sustainable?
- PublicSource, April 20, 2020: Coronavirus will change Pittsburgh, but how? Here are 26 local leaders' predictions for what's to come.
- Forbes, April 14, 2020: How College Campus Closings Are Affecting Graduating Seniors
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 14, 2020: The Future of AI is Female
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 10, 2020: Best Practices For Working Remotely
- EdScoop, April 9, 2020: After the pandemic, AI tutoring tool could put students back on track
- Vital Voices, April 8, 2020: Voices of Resilience: Leah Lizarondo is Tackling Hunger During the Pandemic
- Carnegie Mellon University, April 7, 2020: The Ethics of Developing COVID-19 Treatments and Vaccination
- Fortune, April 2, 2020: Economics of a pandemic: In times of distress, girls and women are the biggest losers
- MarketWatch, March 26, 2020: Coronavirus cases in the U.S. now exceed China. How can you choose between saving the U.S. economy and saving lives?
- KDKA, March 25, 2020: Who Gets A Ventilator?
- The Washington Post, March 21, 2020: The new coronavirus economy: A gigantic experiment reshaping how we work and live
- Forbes, March 20, 2020: Unemployment Headed For 40-Year High—And Trump Reportedly Tells States Not To Release Data
- Quartz, March 19, 2020: Ethicists agree on who gets treated first when hospitals are overwhelmed by coronavirus
- NPR, March 19, 2020: Stuck Inside? Here's Your TV Streaming Strategy
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 17, 2020: In response to COVID-19 — and shift to remote work, school — tech services firms change policies
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 15, 2020: Stuck in quarantine? Stats show surge in time spent on video games, movies and grammar lessons
- Forbes, March 12, 2020: Spotify Patents A Voice Assistant That Can Read Your Emotions
- IEEE Spectrum, February 26, 2020: How Adversarial Attacks Could Destabilize Military AI Systems
- MIT Technology Review, February 24, 2020: We’re not prepared for the end of Moore’s Law
- CBC, February 21, 2020: Is AI overhyped? Researchers weigh in on technology's promise and problems
- The Hill, February 19, 2020: Public trust in data could have helped China contain the coronavirus
- Pittsburgh Action News, February 11, 2020: Pittsburgh FBI warns of 2020 disinformation on social media
- Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2020: House Lawmakers Discuss How to Curb Bias in AI
- World Economic Forum, January 21, 2020: How higher education can adapt to the future of work
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 5, 2020: How blueberries helped inform ethical considerations in an age of driverless cars, robotic workers of big data
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 5, 2020: Automation will change the workforce — in some cases, it already has — but not as quickly as you might expect
- New York Times, December 19, 2019: Many Facial-Recognition Systems Are Biased, Says U.S. Study
- TIME, December 6, 2019: AI Can Now Make Medical Predictions From Raw Data. But Can Deep Learning Be Trusted?
- WESA, November 25, 2019: Siri, Tell Fido To Stop Barking: What's Machine Learning, And What's The Future Of It?
- Fast Company, November 19, 2019: Better-educated, higher-paid workers will be ‘most affected’ by AI, per new study
- CMU Piper, October 30, 2019: Anita Williams Woolley's research team receives a $2.8 million grant to explore how AI can help humans work together better
- Carnegie Mellon University, October 30, 2019: Carnegie Mellon University Announces Landmark $2 Billion Campaign
- Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2019: Afraid You’re ‘Too’ Qualified for a Job? Here’s What You Can Do
- Forbes, October 27, 2019: What You Need To Know About Dark Data
- Nature, October 24, 2019: Millions of black people affected by racial bias in health-care algorithms
- The New York Times, October 15, 2019: If a Robotic Hand Solves a Rubik’s Cube, Does It Prove Something?
- Bloomberg, October 9, 2019: Tesla’s Autopilot Could Save the Lives of Millions, But It Will Kill Some People First
- AFL-CIO, September 13, 2019: AFL-CIO Commission on the Future of Work and Unions Report to the AFL-CIO General Board
- Vox, September 13, 2019: The case for a 4-day workweek
- TechNode, August 29, 2019: National AI plans should encourage international collaboration
- Carnegie Mellon University, August 28, 2019: Rayid Ghani, Pioneer in Applying AI to Social Issues, Joins Carnegie Mellon
- The Wall Street Journal, August 19, 2019: The ‘Overqualified’ Trap Can Hit You at Any Time
- Philadelphia Inquirer, August 15, 2019: Got a smartphone, a car, a big heart and one hour to spare? You can be a hunger hero
- Quartz, July 30, 2019: Mega hacks like the Capital One data breach are inevitable—here’s how to deal with them
- Pittsburgh Business Times, July 12, 2019: Here's why overly capable candidates may not get the job, according to CMU study
- Carnegie Mellon University, July 11, 2019: Study Shows Hiring Managers View Overqualified Job Seekers as Lacking Commitment
- Carnegie Mellon University, June 30, 2019: Smart People Don't Make a Smart Team
- Forbes, June 28, 2019: Trust In The Financial Sector: What Drives It And How To Earn It
- Forbes, June 18, 2019: Three Keys To Help You Rise To The Top
- Forbes, June 6, 2019: Managing Remote Employees? Spot This Problem And Improve Productivity
- TechNewsWorld, May 17, 2019: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Workforce
- GeekWire, May 15, 2019: AI researchers say San Francisco’s facial recognition ban just scratches the surface
- Verizon News, May 15, 2019: Learning about machine learning
- PCMag, May 4, 2019: What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
- Aspen Institute, April 2, 2019: Automation and a Changing Economy: Policies for Shared Prosperity
- Carnegie Mellon University, March 14, 2019: The Balance of AI, Ethics and the Military
- The Verge, March 11, 2019: Why hospitals shouldn’t use telepresence robots to deliver devastating news
- Popular Science, February 11, 2019: Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s ‘American AI Initiative’
- Pittsburgh Business Times, February 22, 2018: Pittsburgh university launches center to examine technologies' societal impacts
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 15, 2018: Parsing the patents: CMU seeking clear answers on AI in workforce
Block Center News and Events
Block by Block: Hong Shen
Block by Block: Research at Work is a new research spotlight series that highlights the innovative work being done by CMU researchers through the Block Center, showcasing how their projects are driving impactful solutions at the intersection of technology and society.
Recent News
Recent Events
Missed the live discussion or want to revisit key moments? Watch recordings from the Block Center Policy Forum, featuring thought-provoking conversations with leaders at the forefront of privacy, regulation, and policy.
Recent Past Events
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About the Block Center
Since our founding in 2019, the Block Center for Technology and Society has been dedicated to exploring the intersections of technological innovation, public policy, and society.
Housed at Carnegie Mellon University, the Block Center fosters interdisciplinary research that addresses the complex challenges posed by rapid technological advancements. The Block Center promotes a thoughtful and inclusive approach to technological innovation through our research, seed funding, and policy impact. We are ultimately striving for a future where technology serves the common good.
About our Founder, Keith Block
The Block Center was launched thanks to the generosity of Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Keith Block and his wife, Suzanne Kelley. Keith Block is the former co-Chief Executive Officer of Salesforce. Prior to joining Salesforce, Block served as Executive Vice President of North America Sales and Consulting at Oracle, leading a multi-billion dollar sales and services business unit that achieved record growth during his tenure. He began his career at Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior consultant. Block holds a Master’s of Science degree in Management and Policy Analysis and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Suzanne Kelley is the Vice President of Consulting Operations & PMO at Oracle. There, she leads operations and project management for the global business unit. She is a graduate of Clarkson University, where she holds degrees in Industrial Distribution and Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.
About our Interim Faculty Director, Kirsten Martin
Kirsten Martin is the H. John Heinz III Dean of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Martin’s research focuses on the ethics of technology, privacy, and corporate responsibility, with particular attention to algorithmic accountability and the role of business in shaping ethical data practices. She has published extensively in leading academic journals across disciplines, including the Journal of Business Ethics, BEQ, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, Journal of Legal Studies, Washington University Law Review, and Journal of Business Research, among others.
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Whether you are a student, researcher or policy maker, we're happy to answer your questions and start a conversation.