About the PI-Tech Lab Project

In an age in which the private sector has made remarkable technological advances, there is a need to make the benefits of technology available to all. The mission of the public interest technology lab is to help technology be used for the needs of society, in a system of democratic participation and respect for human rights. The best way to ensure that technology benefits are widely distributed is to co-design technology applications and research projects with and not just for stakeholders and users.

Our Vision:

The vision of the PI-Tech lab is to shape the future of society’s relationship with technology to advance equity, expand opportunity, and protect human rights and liberties. The PI-Tech lab is committed to being at the forefront of research, education, and practice that integrates technology with ethics and social justice. Critically, the lab is not bound to any single discipline or set of methodologies. The PI-Tech lab is dedicated to building partnerships across disciplines and with industry partners, state and local governments, federal agencies, civil society organizations, and disadvantaged communities to advance technology in the global public interest. 

Our Mission:

The mission of the PI-Tech lab is to advance research, education, policy, and practice on the governance, design, and deployment of emerging technologies to serve the public interest. We engage across departmental, disciplinary, sectoral, and cultural boundaries to:

1. Generate public policy-relevant actionable knowledge on the governance, design, and deployment of existing and emerging technologies to advance opportunity and promote the creation of a fair, free, just, and equitable society;
2. Cultivate Public Interest Technology talent by providing the next generation of the workforce the skills to critically assess the ethical, political, and social implications of technology and design technologies in the public interest;
3. Shape future technological and societal change by studying, designing, and deploying technologies that address societal problems, improve lives, and protect human rights; 
4. Connect and disseminate public interest technology knowledge and practice across disciplines and sectors through collaborations within Virginia Tech and various national and international networks.