Data & Society

Data & Society is a nonprofit research institute that studies the social implications of data-centric technologies, automation, and AI.

Articles & links

Though President Trump rescinded the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, it is having a second life. As red and blue states draft their own versions, they're drawing on the vocabulary Americans have long reached for to contest power, @alondra.bsky.social writes. www.science.or…

A civic grammar for AI rights | Science science.org
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Using AI to learn about campaigns and ballot measures is appealing to many voters because it seems straightforward. But with results that can be marred by factual errors or shaped by flawed assumptions, the reality is more complicated. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/04/u...

‘Who Should I Vote for?’ Voters Turn to A.I. Before Casting Their Ballots - The New York Times nytimes.com
AI Weekly's analysis
  • The 2026 U.S. midterms may be the first American elections in which voters use AI chatbots in meaningful numbers, per NYT reporting.
  • Voters are turning to Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini as nonpartisan researchers, in some cases photographing ballots and asking outright who to vote for.
  • Experts warn the answers can carry factual errors and reportedly favor candidates who are more vocal in the local press and on social media.
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The growing number of AI devices aimed at seniors make surveillance seem like a condition of care, @claraberridge.bsky.social tells @wired.com: "“There might be consent, but it doesn’t necessarily make it an ethical process where choices are so constrained." www.wired.com/stor…

My Father Wants to Age in Place. AI Will Be Watching wired.com
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In @techpolicypress.bsky.social, Hannah Lipstein writes about the broader implications of “greening AI” in the public sector, and why the public has more power to shape the AI industry’s trajectory than we might think. www.techpolicy.press/governments-...

Governments Can Advance 'Greener AI' Through the Power of Procurement | TechPolicy.Press techpolicy.press
AI Weekly's analysis
  • Hannah Lipstein, a DAIR research associate, co-developed a handbook with Data & Society and the GovAI Coalition, which represents over 900 US agencies.
  • The guide, drawn from 10 months of fieldwork, suggests asking vendors for average kilowatt hours per token or adding a single yes or no sustainability question.
  • Lipstein argues for 'frugal AI' and warns the technology is being used to turbocharge fossil fuel extraction, calling adoption not inevitable.
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