Fall/Winter 2018–2019 www.belfercenter.org 20 6D 75 73 74 20 6D 61 6E 61 67 65 20 69 74 2E 20 54 6F 20 63 72 65 61 74 65 20 61 20 66 75 74 75 72 65 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 74 65 63 68 54 65 63 68 6E 6F 6C 6F 67 69 63 61 6C E2 80 AF INEQUALITY 63 68 61 6E ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 67 65 20 68 61 73 20 62 72 6F 75 67 68 74 20 69 6D 6D 65 61 73 75 72 61 62 ETHICS 6C 65 20 62 PRIVACY 65 6E 65 66 69 74 73 20 TRADE 74 6F 20 62 69 6C 6C 69 6F 6E 73 20 74 68 72 6F 75 67 68 20 69 6D 70 SINGULARITY 72 6F 76 65 64 20 68 65 61 6C 74 GENOMIC EDITING 68 2C 20 70 72 6F 64 75 63 74 69 76 69 74 79 2C AF 20 61 6E 64 E2 80 AF 63 6F 6E 76 65 6E 69 65 6E 63 65 2E 20 59 65 5F 74 20 61 73 20 72 65 63 65 6E 74 E2 80 AF 65 76 65 6E 74 73 E2 80 75 68 61 76 65 20 73 68 6F 77 6E 2C 20 75 6E 6C 65 73 73 E2 80 AF 77 65 20 61 63 74 69 76 65 6C 79 20 6D 61 6E 61 67 65 20 74 68 65 69 72 33 20 72 69 73 6B 73 20 74 6F 20 73 6F 63 69 65 74 79 2C 20 6E 65 77 22 20 74 65 63 68 6E 6F 6C 6F 67 69 65 73 20 6D 61 79 20 61 6C 73 6F 20 62 72 69 6E 67 20 75 6E 66 6F 72 ROBOTICS 65 73 65 PROPAGANDA 65 6E 20 64 65 73 TRANSPORTATION 74 72 75 63 74 69 76 65 20 63 6F 6E 73 65 71 75 65 6E 63 65 73 2E 20 4D 61 6B 69 6E UNEMPLOYMENT 67 20 74 65 63 68 6E 6F 6C 6F 67 SOCIAL NETWORKING 69 63 61 6C 20 63 68 61 6E 67 65 20 AF 70 6F 73 69 74 69 76 65 20 66 6F 72 20 61 CHINA 6C 6C 20 69 PERSONALIZED MEDICINE 74 20 74 68 65 20 63 72 69 74 69 63 61 6C 20 63 68 61 6C 6C 65 6E 67 65 20 6F 66 20 6F 75 72 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 57 65 20 6F 75 72 73 65 6C 76 65 73 20 2D 20 6E 6F 74 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20The 74 Belfer 68 Center’s65 20 6C 6F 67 69 63 20 6F 66 20 64 69 73 63 6F 76 65 72 79 20 61 6E 64 20 6D 61 72 6B 65 74 20 66 6FEncouraging 72 63 65 a 73new 20 approach 2D 20 6D Technology and Public to technological change that Purpose Project prioritizes public good Technological change has brought immeasurable benefits to billions through improved health, productivity, and convenience. Yet as recent events have shown, unless we actively manage their risks to society, new technologies may also bring unforeseen destructive consequences. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 » INSIDE: Arctic & Climate Change · Protecting Elections · Decarbonizing China 283450 BCSIA.indd 1 12/5/18 2:34 PM From the Director s one of few scientist professors at Harvard with his colleagues Bill Clark, David Keith, AKennedy School in the 1980s, I sometimes Henry Lee, Halla Hrund Logadóttir, Venky gave a lecture on climate change in the School’s Narayanamurti, Dan Schrag, and Rob Stavins, only survey course on technology. At the time, John is leveraging Harvard’s unmatched convening Aditi Kumar Named the issue struck many of my students as exotic power to confront this urgent challenge. Just last Center’s New and somewhat obscure. month, he co-led a delegation including 24 Harvard But with the arrival of fellow physicist John students to Iceland as part of the Arctic Circle Executive Director Holdren in the 1990s to head the Belfer Center’s Assembly. Far beyond taking notes, these students Science, Technology, and Public Policy project, met with the president of Iceland and the interior Eric and I are very pleased to welcome climate change became a Center focal point. minister for Arctic affairs and presented ideas to Aditi Kumar, who has joined us as Executive Today, the Kennedy School offers a diverse array 2,000 government officials, scientific leaders, and Director of the Belfer Center. of climate-related courses and research. NGOs from all over the Northern Hemisphere. From her public service at the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury to her work with senior business and public-sector leaders “John has brought at Oliver Wyman and at the World Economic lasting impact Forum, Aditi brings a rich set of experiences and talents to help lead the Belfer Center. In to virtually the particular, her remarkable record of managing entire range of complex projects and high-performing teams, along with her scholarship on international technology and affairs and financial and economic policy, gives John Holdren speaks at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2018 in public purpose.” her that rare blend of skills to excel as both a Reykjavík. See page 6 for more. senior administrator and thought leader. Aditi has conducted extensive research The harmful effects of unchecked carbon In Iceland, these students saw firsthand what and spoken about topics related to financial emissions are now well integrated into public John has long known: climate change isn’t a theory, regulation, macroeconomic policy, fintech, and policy and debate, in large part because of the prediction, or trend—it’s a dramatic reality caused blockchain, and we expect she’ll contribute sub- tireless work by John who took a leave from the by carbon and other changes that is disrupting stantially to the Center’s world-class research. Kennedy School from 2009–2016 to serve as everything from navigation and trade to national An alumna of Harvard, Aditi earned dual President Obama’s Science Advisor. security, indigenous communities, and resource degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School and From the control of nuclear fissile management. Thanks to John, we still have a Business School with Masters in Public Policy material and energy policy to R&D, economic chance to make a difference before it’s too late. and Business Administration, respectively. competitiveness, and climate change, John has * * * Born in India, Aditi moved to Missouri at age brought lasting impact to virtually the entire The Belfer Center is growing, and I want 10 and began quickly to distinguish herself. She range of technology and public purpose. to extend a few special welcomes to people and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Government service in Washington is programs that have recently joined our family: Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the exhausting, but John served as Director of the • Aditi Kumar is our new Executive Director. University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Program. White House Office of Science and Technology • digital HKS, led by David Eaves, strengthens “I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to Policy and as Science Advisor for eight years. In our already formidable research in this area. return to the Kennedy School and work closely doing so, he helped set in motion some of the • The esteemed National Security Fellows with the professors and mentors who shaped most consequential environmental initiatives in program, run by Gen. Bill Rapp, is now my time here,” Aditi said. “The Belfer Center history. Decades hence, we’ll all thank him for his officially part of the Belfer Center. is an influential contributor to the dialogue on unstinting commitment to far-sighted policies. • The Korea Project, led by John Park, deepens global and international affairs, and I’m look- Today, we’re mindful that progress is not our security work in northeast Asia. ing forward to working with the team to further assured. Political winds shift; agreements can be • Laura Manley is the inaugural Director of the develop and showcase the Center’s innovative broken. Since the best remedy for anxiety is action, Technology and Public Purpose Project. ideas and research.” John has redoubled his efforts since his return to (See pages 4-5.) —Ash Carter the School and the Belfer Center in 2016. Together 2 Newsletter | Fall–wiNter 2018–2019 283450 BCSIA.indd 2 12/4/18 2:40 PM Observing the Midterms to Fortify Electionby Mari Dugas Security s millions of Americans voted in the midterm elections on November 6, D3P A25 students working with the Center’s Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) observed the elections unfolding in five states across the country. The team, COURTESY comprised of students from Harvard Kennedy School, MIT, and Tufts, spent the last three months learning about election systems and processes in the United States. Armed with information from D3P’s “State and Local Election Playbook” and its Tabletop Exercise (TTX) training for 120 election officials from 38 different states in early 2018, this year’s student team was eager to engage with election officials and continue providing support to the men and women who are at the frontlines of protecting our democracy. The student team spent election day in Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Oregon in order to learn about their election processes. In 2019, D3P students will provide support to these five states in conducting their own TTXs.