Samantha Power calls for the development of technologies that respect rights and reinforce democratic values at Tech4Democracy’s North America Venture Day

Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has highlighted that “When we implement technologies that respect rights, we can make a more democratic world”. Administrator Power has participated in Tech4Democracy’s North America Venture Day, an event co-organized by IE University and Stanford University’s Global Digital Policy Incubator and held at Stanford’s campus in Silicon Valley. Tech4Democracy is an IE University initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of State that promotes the development of technologies that reinforce democratic values. Microsoft is a strategic supporter of IE University’s Tech4Democracy efforts.

The Venture Day featured a competition for North American startups developing technologies that consolidate democratic governance. Atlos, an organization that develops technology that is purpose-built for collaborative cataloguing and geolocation of human rights violations, received the award for the best startup in the continent. The jury was composed of a diverse group of experts, including leading members of the investor community in Silicon Valley, top academics, diplomats and executives.

Along with Samantha Power, the event counted with the participation of Scott Busby (Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State), Lila Tretikov (Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft), Eileen Donahoe (Executive Director of Stanford University’s Global Digital Policy Incubator) and Irene Blázquez (Director of the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University).

“If we want democracy to succeed in continuing to deliver global public goods, we must align technology with the best interests of humankind.”
Irene Blázquez, Director of the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University

Eileen Donahoe stated: “While a great deal of intellectual energy has been focused on the detrimental effects of tech on democracy, the purpose of this initiative is to showcase the beneficial applications of tech, and to spur innovation and investment in technologies that support democracy.”

IE University will hold new editions of Tech4Democracy in Asia and Africa, to select the startups with the greatest potential in the development of technologies that consolidate democracy in each continent, followed by a global final competition with the winners of each continental challenge.