UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College at Mt. Ida: AI, Data & Ethics: Introduction to Public Interest Technology

Learn about Summer 2024 Pre-College opportunities at the UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review. Find out more!

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Today’s world is complex and tech-driven. Emerging technologies offer new solutions but they can also introduce new or deepen existing problems. (The release of ChatGPT in December 2022 presents an important recent case study.) How do we make sure that we develop and implement technologies that not only solve the problems we face in a socially responsible way but also empower individuals and communities?

This course will introduce high school students to the growing field of “public interest technology” and will explore the questions:

• What is the public interest in a socio-technical world?
• How do issues of bias and inequality get built into and reinforced by technologies?
• What can we learn from the history of technology and innovation?
• What strategies can we use to promote social responsibility in the public sector, private sector, and general public?
•  What can each of us do to make the world a better place? 

Each day, students will engage in interactive lectures, group discussions, and collaborative activities that ask students to grapple with the complex social and technical issues that public interest technologists must grapple with in their work. Class content and case studies will be inspired by current events, and students will learn about the different careers they might consider. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their own public interest values, and consider how they might help their friends, family, and wider communities become more aware of the complex social and technical issues that we face in our increasingly tech-driven world.

This course is for everyone at all levels and with all interests. No programming or prerequisites are required. We focus on building skills to think analytically, broadly, and strategically, as well as to communicate effectively about complex problems with societal impact. Come learn about this growing field

Dates: June 30 - July 13, 2024
Two-Week Intensives: $3,636

*Program fees listed above include tuition, room & board. 
*All programs require submission of $35 application fee.