Funders Set Out to Advance Public Interest Technology. What’s the State of the Field? | Inside Philanthropy

"Cognizant of this fact, about seven years ago, Ford began awarding grants to cultivate public interest technology (PIT), which it describes as “a growing field made up of technologists who work to ensure technology is created and used responsibly.” In 2019, it earmarked $50 million for the Public Interest Technology Catalyst Fund, and partnered with the Hewlett Foundation and the Washington, D.C.-based think tank New America to launch the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) to create career pathways for civic-minded technologists.

A recently published report by New America and Boston University finds that the PIT field is growing, despite a relatively small funding base and participating institutions’ slow progress in cultivating diverse public interest technologists. Equipped with funder support, the network’s 48 colleges and universities plan to increase the number of technologists to meet employer demand, underscoring philanthropy’s unique ability to stand up a new field and address tech’s unintended harms in the absence of robust assistance from legislators and the courts."

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