Dr. Susan Aaronson directs a small think tank, the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub, which works to educate policymakers and the public about data and data driven change. Since 2019, the Hub has published a metric and dataset that allows researchers to compare data governance in 68 countries and the EU. The Hub developed 26 indicators (yes/no questions) about data governance at the national and international level and used this for 4 years of reports. However, data governance is changing for several reasons, including rapid change in AI, a growing recognition that data governance enforcement is inadequate, and a new understanding that there are types of data that are useful for AI, yet such data is not governed under existing rules (for example creative content on Reddit or Instagram). The Hub staff is trying to update the metric to accommodate these and potential other changes such as data sharing rules or policies to promote data sovereignty. The metric only includes indicators that at least one government is adopting, such as China’s regulations allowing firms to claim data as an asset or liability. In this talk, Dr. Aaronson will explain why we need to update the metric, why we seek public comment on our indicators, and the costs and benefits of such a metric as well as its utility. The Hub believes that the metric can provide new insights into how the quest for data is changing governance and how policymakers are responding to this challenge. It also may provide new insights into who influences data and AI policy.
About the Speaker
Susan Ariel Aaronson is Research Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University (GWU). Aaronson is also co-principal investigator with the NSF -NIST (National Science Foundation and (National Institute of Standards and Technology Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society, TRAILS, where she leads research on data and AI governance. Aaronson was recently named one of GWU’s Public Interest Technology Scholars, where she works to encourage interdisciplinary research on technology.
