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Ryan Budish is a Privacy and Public Policy Manager at Meta. He helps to develop innovative approaches to a range of data protection practices, with a focus on data portability, interoperability, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

Prior to joining Meta, Ryan was Assistant Research Director at the Berkman Klein Center. While at BKC, Ryan led significant initiatives relating to the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence, Internet censorship, corporate transparency about government surveillance, and multistakeholder governance mechanisms. He worked with national and international organizations on a range of important topics such as contributing to the OECD's development of AI governance principles, the United Nations' creation of a System Wide Action Plan for AI, and the NTIA's review of ICANN's accountability mechanisms. He worked closely with staff, fellows, faculty, affiliates, and alumni across the Berkman Klein community, as well as with numerous global partners and collaborators.

Ryan's writing, including pieces on government surveillance and the future of wearable technologies, has been published by The Guardian and The Atlantic. He has discussed his work on panels and in news media around the world.

Previously Ryan was an associate at the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, in Washington, D.C., where he focused on privacy, media, technology, and health care.  Ryan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Ryan graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He completed his undergraduate education at Swarthmore College.


Projects & Tools

Past

AI: Global Governance and Inclusion

In a world challenged by growing domestic and international inequalities, policymakers face hard problems and difficult choices when dealing with AI systems.

Past

AI: Transparency and Explainability

There are many ways to hold AI systems accountable. We focus on issues related to obtaining human-intelligible and human-actionable information.

Past

Herdict

Herdict collected and disseminated real-­time, crowdsourced information about Internet filtering, denial of service attacks, and other blockages.

Past

Internet Governance

A multi-disciplinary, collaborative, and extended investigation into the multi-layered system that defines the function, structure, and operation of the Internet. 


Publications

Apr 28, 2021

German Digital Council: An ‘Inside-Out’ Case Study

Report offers window into innovative expert council model

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appointed a group to bring a digital mindset into government

Publication
Jan 11, 2021

Skin in the Game: Modulate AI and Addressing the Legal and Ethical Challenges of Voice Skin Technology

A BKC Policy Practice Case Study & Educational Toolkit

An educational toolkit that includes a case study, a teaching note, and a background primer.

May 2, 2018

Encryption Policy And Its International Impacts: A Framework For Understanding Extraterritorial Ripple Effects

This paper explores the potential international ripple effects that can occur following changes to domestic encryption policies.

Publication
Feb 9, 2018

Follow-up Letter to the Members of the Massachusetts Legislature Regarding the Adoption of Actuarial Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice System

The following open letter — signed by Harvard and MIT-based faculty, staff, and researchers — is directed to the Massachusetts Legislature to inform its consideration of risk…

Publication
Nov 9, 2017

An Open Letter to the Members of the Massachusetts Legislature Regarding the Adoption of Actuarial Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice System

This open letter — signed by Harvard and MIT-based faculty, staff, and researchers— is directed to the Massachusetts Legislature to inform its consideration of risk assessment…

Publication
Dec 29, 2016

The Transparency Reporting Toolkit: Guide & Template

for Reporting on U.S. Government Requests for User Information

This guide provides a practical starting point for companies that want to create or improve their transparency reports.

Publication
Sep 26, 2016

Privacy and Cybersecurity Research Briefing

This research briefing aims to translate findings from ongoing Berkman Klein Center privacy and cybersecurity research and activities into practical considerations and takeaways…

Publication
Mar 31, 2016

The Transparency Reporting Toolkit:

Best Practices for Reporting on U.S. Government Requests for User Information

The Transparency Reporting Toolkit is a project by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI). Using…

Publication
Aug 10, 2015

Designing Successful Governance Groups

Lessons for Leaders from Real-World Examples

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society, together with the Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers (NoC), is pleased to announce the release of a new publication…

Publication
Jan 15, 2015

Multistakeholder as Governance Groups: Observations from Case Studies

The project explores existing multistakeholder governance groups with the goal of informing the future evolution of the Internet governance ecosystem. The research effort…


News

News
Jan 22, 2021

Summary Report of Expert Roundtable on Colombia’s Draft AI Ethical Framework

Lens on Youth Issues

Key takeaways from an expert roundtable offering feedback on Colombia’s draft “Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Colombia.”

News
Dec 17, 2020

BKC Policy Practice on AI Hosts Expert Review of Colombia’s AI Ethical Framework with Focus on Youth

Colombia President Iván Duque Márquez launches AI framework; BKC’s Urs Gasser delivers keynote

Colombia President Iván Duque Márquez launches AI framework; BKC’s Urs Gasser delivers keynote

News
Sep 15, 2020

Draft Policy Guidance on AI for Children

BKC community members inform UNICEF report

BKC community members inform UNICEF report

BKC Medium Collection
Jun 12, 2020

AI & the European Commission’s Risky Business

“Risk” as a cornerstone of AI governance is complicated by decades of debates about how we assess “risk,” Ryan Budish says.

News
Apr 6, 2020

In Principle and In Practice

Exploring AI principles from the macro- and micro-levels

Exploring AI principles from the macro- and micro-levels

News
Jun 11, 2019

Artificial Intelligence in Society

A broad overview of the technical, economic, political, and social landscapes of AI, including its positive and negative impacts

News
Jun 11, 2019

What are the OECD Principles on AI?

Five complementary values-based concepts for the responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI

News
Aug 13, 2018

Helping Global Policymakers Navigate AI’s Challenges and Opportunities

Giving policymakers practical steps to help close the many gaps they see in understanding how to deal with Artificial Intelligence technologies

News
Jul 11, 2018

Global Governance and Inclusion

Reframing the Global Debate Around AI

A look at lessons we’ve learned in our work as part of the Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative,

News
Jun 21, 2018

Data Commons Version 1.0

A Framework to Build Toward AI for Good

The increased use of AI for purposes ranging from health to food security to global infrastructure has resulted in a greater interest in how we should manage big data.


Community

GovTech

Ethics in the Balance: AI’s Implications for Government

BKC’s Ethics & Governance of AI Initiative works with government officials, stakeholders

Jul 1, 2020
MuckRock

The U.S. needs to “get AI right” — and fast — says government group

Ryan Budish discusses a report from the National Security Commission on AI

Nov 19, 2019
Diversity in Action

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Separating fact from fiction in the new Wild West of technology

Jun 21, 2019

Events

Mar 31, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Virtual Event: In Principle and in Practice

VIDEO & PODCAST: Featuring Jessica Fjeld and Ryan Budish

VIDEO & PODCAST: A conversation about AI principles

Event
May 23, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Can We Talk?

An Open Forum on Disability, Technology, and Inclusion

This event was co-hosted by the Berkman Klein Center…

Nov 13, 2012 @ 12:30 PM

This is Improbable

Featuring Marc Abrahams and other special guests

Marc Abrahams -- publisher of the Annals of Improbable Research, host of the annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, and author of several books (including his latest, This is Improbable:…