PeaceTech and Polarization Lab (PTAP)
Digital technology offers vast new ways for humans to communicate with each other, but too often, the design of these platforms and the algorithms that guide our news feeds hurt our ability to understand different points of view. How can we reduce technology’s harms while increasing its benefits to humanity? These are the questions that drive our work.
The PeaceTech and Polarization (PTAP) Lab, part of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies within the Keough School of Global Affairs, offers students the opportunity to study and research the design and functions of technology and its intersection with peacebuilding and democracy. The Lab’s goal is to contribute to social cohesion through the use of technology that supports public problem-solving.
At the University of Notre Dame, we believe there is an opportunity – and responsibility – to use technology for social good, especially in a time of dramatic change in the U.S. and global political landscape. The PTAP Lab is poised to do just this – and its work is needed now more than ever.
Interested in getting involved? The Lab offers four unique areas of research, which are described more fully in each of the links below:
Prosocial Tech Design
Deliberative Tech & Democracy
AI for Public Discourse
Tech Ethics & Governance of Digital Public Squares
The PTAP Lab enables Notre Dame students to assist with research and workshops in collaboration with tech companies, the United Nations, peacebuilding non-governmental organizations around the world, and universities. For more information about PTAP's work and opportunities, contact Lisa Schirch, director of the PTAP Lab at lschirch@nd.edu.