Researching Technology’s Impact on the Human Condition
About the Tech4Humanity Lab
The Tech4Humanity Lab is a transdisciplinary laboratory at Virginia Tech, focusing on the impact of technology on the human condition. Our lab emphasizes issues of human security broadly constituting political, medical, social, economic and environmental securities. The lab utilizes transdisciplinary research, combining practices from political science, law, computer science, humanities, engineering, business, biology, public health, and area studies.
Our mission includes investigating the impact of technological advances on a broad spectrum of security issues. Early research initiatives include surveillance, censorship, data manipulation and misuse, and misappropriation for the purposes of impacting human security across and within multiple disciplines. The lab provides access to resources including High Performance Computing; mobile and IoT technologies; servers, software and simulations for modeling infrastructures; augmented and virtual environments; and a range of digital devices. The lab places concerns of human security at its core and seeks to develop technical- and policy-relevant research that might guide future innovation in ways that minimize negative impacts and enhance a comprehensive approach to technology and human security.
Lab Meetings
Hume Colloquium Presentations
CCI Research Presentations
Aaron F. Brantly – Director
- ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
- HEAD OF RESEARCH, CENTER FOR EUROPEAN UNION AND TRANSATLANTIC STUDIES
- AFFILIATED FACULTY, HUME CENTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
- AFFILIATED FACULTY, NATIONAL SECURITY INSTITUTE
Nataliya D. Brantly – Lab Deputy Director
- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM (GIA)
- PROGRAM DIRECTOR, EASTERN PARTNERSHIP RESEARCH PROGRAM CENTER FOR EUROPEAN UNION AND TRANSATLANTIC STUDIES
Latest Blog Posts
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Addressing Bias in AI Healthcare: Protecting Vulnerable Patient Populations
CONTINUE READING: Addressing Bias in AI Healthcare: Protecting Vulnerable Patient Populationsby Javaid Sofi Abstract AI’s integration into healthcare, while promising enhanced diagnostics and efficiency, carries a significant risk of amplifying health disparities affecting vulnerable populations. Bias arises from unrepresentative datasets (e.g., dermatology algorithms trained on lighter skin tones), cognitive biases in clinical labelling, and flawed proxies like zip codes conflating geography with health risk. Studies like…
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Signal Transmission Vulnerabilities in Neural Interfaces
CONTINUE READING: Signal Transmission Vulnerabilities in Neural Interfacesby Emma Szczesniak Neural interface systems such as myoelectric-computer interfaces (MCIs) and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) assist patients with motor impairment due to injury or neurodegenerative conditions. Neural interface research has focused on device accuracy and usability while neglecting to comprehensively assess security risks. These devices store substantial personal data that can be exploited if compromised. Attacks can…
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Generative AI Will Fail to Attract Us Because It Ignores What Makes Us Human
CONTINUE READING: Generative AI Will Fail to Attract Us Because It Ignores What Makes Us HumanBy Selim Tlili Selim Tlili has taught high school biology, chemistry and math since 2004. He began in the NYC public school system and moved to independent education in 2015. He is working on his first book in science education and is finishing his first movie. Read his work at selim.digital. I had an incredibly interesting lunchtime conversation with…
Tech4Humanity Lab
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Major Williams Hall 117