ETP Newsletter June 2025
The inaugural Ethical Tech Fellowship is now a wrap! We’re so proud of our 18 Fellows, and hope you’ll join us in congratulating them for their efforts.
Here’s what some of them had to say about their experiences in the program:
What was really interesting was seeing the breadth and diversity of people who have a direct stakeholder involvement in ethical technology. There are people who are in the criminal justice system, and people who are working in digital, multimedia, and major journalism groups. Getting a lot of those perspectives is really enriching, especially when you're early on in your career and you're realizing that everyone has a direct involvement in this. - Arjun Jagjivan
I knew I wanted to pursue a career in something related to ethical technology and responsible AI, and I wanted to connect with professionals in the space. Now that I'm in the program and have gained so much from it, it's been really exciting to hear every week from guest speakers and even present my capstone to a really awesome industry panel. - Hana Memon
I'm using the fellowship as a catalyst for what I want to do in my own entrepreneurial ambitions as I continue to build out solutions that use technology as a means to bridge the great societal challenges of the 21st century, whether it be in geopolitics, democratic, backsliding, et cetera. - Nikolas Ortega
We designed the fellowship to educate, convene, and equip tech builders so they can make better decisions when designing, developing, and bringing to market tech- and AI- driven solutions. And our work is needed more now than ever before.
We’re planning more corporate trainings and executive workshops, as well as the next fellowship cohort for individuals. If you’re curious about how this could support your team—or if you’re personally interested in joining the fellowship—we’d love to connect. Just drop us a note at contact@ethicaltechproject.org and and we’ll share more about what’s coming up.
With gratitude,
Jennie & Nancy
Here’s what we’ve been reading and listening to, and you should be too:
Campaign: Stop Google's Gemini AI rollout to young kids!
The non-profits Fairplay and EPIC are leading a broad coalition to stop Google’s rollout of its Gemini AI companion to children under age 13.
The New York Times: Trump Administration Cancels Scores of Grants to Study Online Misinformation
Federal agencies say that by axing the funding they are protecting the First Amendment. Critics see it as stifling scientific inquiry into sources of harmful online content.
NPR: Meta plans to replace humans with AI to assess risks
Current and former Meta employees fear the new automation push comes at the cost of allowing AI to make tricky determinations about how Meta's apps could lead to real world harm.
The Atlantic: ‘The Worst Internet-Research Ethics Violation I Have Ever Seen’
The most persuasive “people” on a popular subreddit turned out to be a front for a secret AI experiment.
The Guardian: AI pioneer announces non-profit to develop ‘honest’ artificial intelligence
Yoshua Bengio’s organisation plans to create system to act as guardrail against AI agents trying to deceive humans
Click Here: 227 new reasons to worry about North Korea
North Korea has built an artificial intelligence research center to supercharge its cyber operations, Unit 227. It’s a move that some experts say has been years in the making — and others say should scare us senseless.
The Guardian: ChatGPT may be polite, but it’s not cooperating with you
Big tech companies have exploited human language for AI gain. Now they want us to see their products as trustworthy collaborators.
The New York Times: Hey ChatGPT, Which One of These Is the Real Sam Altman?
Two journalists explore the artificial intelligence company OpenAI and present complementary portraits of its notorious co-founder.
On with Kara Swisher: Sam Altman, OpenAI and the Future of Artificial (General) Intelligence
Few technological advances have made the kind of splash –– and had the potential long-term impact –– that ChatGPT did in November 2022. But who is Sam Altman? And was it inevitable that OpenAI would become such a huge player in the AI space?
Morning Brew: Having an affair? Don’t let Claude 4 find out
Anthropic's latest AI model resorted to blackmail during testing.
The New York Times: Opinion | Silicon Valley Is at an Inflection Point
The influence of A.I. companies now extends well beyond the realm of business.
TechPolicy.Press: The Myth of AGI
Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender write that claims of "Artificial General Intelligence" are a cover for abandoning the current social contract.
AI Now Institute: Artificial Power: 2025 Landscape Report
In the aftermath of the “AI boom,” this report examines how the push to integrate AI products everywhere grants AI companies - and the tech oligarchs that run them - power that goes far beyond their deep pockets.
Slate: The New Movie From the Creator of Succession Is Less a Satire Than a Documentary
The new HBO movie hits harder than just about any movie released in theaters this year.