DefCon31 Roundup: Navigating the Crossroads of Tech Policy in a Melting Pot of Brilliant Minds
By Sandra Khalil, Head of Partnerships + Trust & Safety vertical at All Tech Is Human
What happened in Vegas should go international. This past week, I experienced my very first DefCon, the world’s largest and most renowned hacking conference in Las Vegas, alongside a few ATIH community members. I had the privilege of speaking on two panels at the Voting Village, run by the Election Integrity Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on making elections trustworthy, secure, and accessible.
My talks, “Building Partnerships to Support Elections” and “The 2024 Election Threat Landscape,” aimed to bridge the gap between stakeholders in electoral processes, shedding light on how crucial it is to safeguard democracy in the run-up to 70+ global elections next year. I centered my insights on the importance of civil society partnerships and workforce development, two issues at the heart of All Tech Is Human’s work, in an era where technology facilitates and perpetuates civic life. The integrity and security of electoral processes hinge on conversations beyond the technical realm; they involve multistakeholder competency and capacity-building and strong policy advocacy to consider the ethical, legal, and societal dimensions implicated in the electoral landscape. My co-panelists from civil society, academic, and industry backgrounds echoed the need for this holistic approach to ensure our electoral systems remain resilient to emerging threats, including the use of generative AI and disinformation on social media platforms.
Another important aspect of DefCon31 was the symbiotic relationship between the policy and hacker communities. The Policy and AI Villages embodied the mission of bringing together technologists, policymakers, tech ethicists, advocates, academics, and more, to discuss and collaborate on wicked tech and society issues. Hacker and DefCon founder, Jeff “Dark Tangent” Moss, put it best:
“Over the years I have written that hackers need to have a seat at the policy table as technology becomes more complicated and important…We need to continue to embrace our role of representing civil society and speaking truth to power…We have increased the opportunities to engage with policymakers and those that support them. They are as interested in us as we are them.”
It was encouraging to see both hackers and policymakers recognize and engage one another toward more informed decision-making that shapes the future of technology. In an increasingly complex digital world, we need a deep understanding of the interplay of tech and society and diverse perspectives at the table. With that comes a spirit of collaboration, inclusivity, and community that can sometimes be messy and decentralized, but ensures everyone is a valued stakeholder in the process. Organizations like ours play a crucial role in convening groups like these and amplifying their outputs. I look forward to being involved in future DefCons and building on this important discourse!
