Better Tech - by Francine Berman (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From an award-winning pioneer in data infrastructure and leader in tech policy, lauded by the Library of Congress, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Newsweek.

Technology powers our world. But we often give it the upper hand, treating tech solutions as right by default and accepting online risk as the price we have to pay. Rampant security breaches, unwanted surveillance, predators, and misinformation are just a normal part of cyberspace. But what if tech was designed and managed to empower and protect the people who use it? In Better Tech, Francine Berman explores this question and argues that for society to advance and humanity to thrive, technology must put people first.

Berman focuses on the riskiest and most essential technologies--social media, AI chatbots, search engines--all of which serve as digital critical infrastructure. She argues that the risk-mitigation strategies for critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, food systems, and the electrical grid can also be used for cyberspace because we should be able to expect that our technology is similarly safe, dependable, and trustworthy. Better Tech goes beyond identifying the problems of technology and provides an actionable playbook of responsible design, development, use, and regulatory strategies that can be used by everyone from policymakers to students and general readers to reduce technology's risks and advance the public good.

Review Quotes

"Thank goodness for this book, and for Francine Berman's rare mix of clarity and expertise. Better Tech is an essential, commonsense guide to making emerging technologies answerable to the public interest."
--Jill Lepore, author of The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State

"This novel reframing of digital technology as a public good offers a practical road map to how we can make technology work for us. A must-read for policymakers, local leaders, and anyone who wants to do something but doesn't know where to start."
--Bruce Schneier, coauthor of Rewiring Democracy

About the Author