The Merge of Tech and Society

Is it a technological problem or is it a social problem? As we close out the decade, it's increasingly clear — there’s no separating one from the other anymore. We’re at the point where industries that were on distinct trajectories now share a commonality with tech woven across all. In this edition, we take a look at what this merge means with perspectives from finance, healthcare, design, and more.

In This Edition

01
Competing in an AI-driven world
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Succeeding in the digital economy requires reinventing the way companies work, starting with an AI-powered operating model. Harvard Business School Professors Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani introduce a framework for how business roles need to change for people and tech.
02
The new era of tech governance
- Civic Tech
It's in society's hands to shape technological progress. The Technology and Public Purpose Project at Harvard Kennedy School is defining a new approach to help decisionmakers create a future where technology serves the public good.
03
The growing role of connected tech in medical research
- Data & Analysis
Connected technology has recently become ubiquitous in consumer health markets. And now many of these products are formally part of the healthcare system. Harvard Business School Professor Ariel Dora Stern and researcher Caroline Mara chart the upward trend and the potential this holds for biomedical research.
04
A responsibility to judge carefully in the era of ~~prediction~~ decision machines
- Managing in the Digital Economy
With machines making decisions on our behalf, the role of managers will shift from making point decisions to evaluating and shaping decision-making across entire systems. Professor David Parkes from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences unpacks how this paradigm shift could play out in the future.
05
Tech that helps us understand ourselves
- Data & Analysis
Technology is often designed to make things easier. But what if future technologies were designed to better reflect society? Beth Altringer from the Desirability Lab is exploring this question through POV development.
06
The future of FinTech is … Africa
- Fintech / Digital Currencies
FinTech has exploded over the past five years, but innovation in finance isn’t exactly new. What is changing, though, is the pace these solutions are developed, adopted, and discarded. As we look ahead, Harvard Business School Professor Lauren Cohen advises keeping an eye on Africa.
07
Bringing the AR cloud to sports
- Data & Analysis
Immersive sports analytics overlays the virtual world onto real life with the promise of game-changing results. The SportsXR research team at Harvard’s Visual Computing Group visualizes this new data-rich experience for athletes, coaches, and fans.

Influencers

Ash Carter

Ash is the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.
Ariel Dora Stern

Ariel is the Poronui Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, focused on the management of innovation in health care.
Hanspeter Pfister

Hanspeter is the An Wang Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, researching visual computing.
Karim Lakhani

Karim is the Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration and faculty co-founder of the Digital Initiative at Harvard Business School, as well as the founder and co-director of the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard.
Beth Altringer

Beth is the director of the Desirability Lab and a senior preceptor at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
David Parkes

David is the George F. Colony Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, leading research at the intersection of economics and computer science.
Marco Iansiti

Marco is the David Sarnoff Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the Digital Initiative at Harvard Business School.
Laura Manley

Laura leads the Technology and Public Purpose Project at Harvard Kennedy School and is an expert in international development, infrastructure technology, innovation systems, and technology assessments.
Lauren Cohen

Lauren is the L.E. Simmons Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School in the finance and entrepreneurial management units and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.