Better Tech: Putting People First in Cyberspace with Francine Berman and Jim Kurose

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On the publication day of “Better Tech: Putting People First in Cyberspace,” Francine Berman will join Jim Kurose for a timely conversation about how technology can better serve - and protect - the people who depend on it. 
 
From social media and AI chatbots to search engines, some of today's most essential technologies also carry significant risks. In “Better Tech”, Berman asks what would change if we treated cyberspace as critical infrastructure: something the public should be able to expect will be safe, dependable, and trustworthy. The book moves beyond diagnosing the problem to offer practical strategies for responsible design, development, use, and governance.

Francine Berman is co-founder and director of Public Interest Technology and the Stuart Rice Honorary Research Professor in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst, as well as Faculty Associate in the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard. A distinguished data scientist and computing leader, her work focuses on the impact of information technology on society and strategies that help minimize public risk and maximize public benefits. Berman is the inaugural recipient of the ACM/IEEE Ken Kennedy Award, the 2020 Paul Evan Peters Award, and the 2024 NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award. She is former head of the San Diego Supercomputer Center and an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Jim Kurose is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of computer science at UMass Amherst. Internationally recognized for his work in computer networking, he has held leadership roles at UMass Amherst and the National Science Foundation, where he led the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering. Kurose is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and co-author of Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. 

The conversation begins at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, at the UMass Amherst Old Chapel. A book signing will follow the conversation, with a limited number of complimentary copies of “Better Tech” available to the first registered attendees.  
 
Registration is recommended for in-person attendees and is required to receive the livestream link.