Vinuri Dissanayake (MPP’25), a policy studies student at Georgetown University, shared her experience at the second Ideathon in Singapore.
Over the past few years, there has been a flurry of news about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, including Hollywood strikes, the European Union’s AI law, and ChatGPT. The technological future is right around the corner, but it seems harder to know whether to treat it as a guest or an intruder. As someone with a deep interest in understanding the role of responsible technology in society, I’m increasingly impatient to find ways to explore this.
Participating in the second annual Ideathon hosted by the McCourt School’s Technology and Public Policy Program in partnership with the Georgetown Technology Policy Initiative provided me with a unique opportunity to better understand and explore the role of responsible technology in society.
Graduate students from Georgetown University spent a week collaborating with international students from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore for the second Ideathon.
I spent a week in Singapore working with students from Georgetown University and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to solve real-world technology policy challenges for the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information.
We were presented with a scenario involving malicious algorithms and challenged to understand how Singapore can anticipate and prepare for the associated risks, particularly by considering technical, policy and ethical solutions. In addition to cultural diversity, our cross-functional team offered a wealth of diverse experiences and perspectives.
Within days, we developed a sense of community, overcame the challenges before us, and worked together across our differences. We rolled up our sleeves to conceive and identify effective, achievable solutions to our problems. Working late into the night, eating noodles on our laptops, and doodling on whiteboards, we were forced to step outside of our own assumptions and lived experiences. It was inspiring to witness our peers not only demonstrate perseverance, but also a deep commitment to the cause.
It reminded me that the best solutions are those built collaboratively, with the community in mind.
Vinuri Dissanayake (MPP’25), Talia Stringfellow (MPP’25), Amelie D’Hers (MS-DSPP’25), Juanita Santamaria (LLM’25), and Vinuri Dissanayake (MPP’25) visited the Flower Dome during their trip to Singapore.
Our interdisciplinary team from Georgetown University, which also included students studying communications, law, public policy, and user experience (UX), also had the privilege of being mentored by policy practitioners from Google, Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information, and GovTech. Together with Michelle DeMuy, Director of the McCourt School’s Technology & Public Policy Program, Barbara Schone, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and professors from NTU, they challenged us to think about who we most want to protect and how we want to protect them.
Apart from academics, my peers and I had the opportunity to experience a truly amazing culture. Although I had visited Singapore briefly as a child, it felt like I was experiencing the country for the first time again. Singapore is so much more than you can imagine. Whether it be tasting the amazing food or seeing the Supertree Grove light up. This small island nation is one of those places that leaves you speechless.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the ideathon, which gave me a glimpse into the technology policy problems I want to solve, and reminded me that figuring out how to invite technology into our lives, whether as an intruder or a guest, is best accomplished as a collaborative effort.
