Public Knowledge hosts Emerging Tech to bring together public interest advocates, policymakers, and companies on the cutting edge of technology. The event helps inform policymakers about the promise, potential pitfalls, and policy implications of fast-moving tech dominating headlines and impacting our society in new ways.
We invite industry experts from across the country to join us for an all-day discussion as well as a reception and tech showcase, where guests can experience the latest technologies first-hand and get to know the people driving the next iteration of the internet.
In 2025, we convened a targeted, in-depth gathering aimed at fostering deeper engagement, collaboration, and policy conversations between policy advocates and emerging technology audiences. This year, we explored the policy implications and opportunities within frontier technologies, emphasizing the decentralized web, generative AI, and XR innovations.
Public Knowledge Interim CEO Meredith Whipple offered opening remarks to highlight the impact emerging technologies can have on society. She then introduced Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas Garcia, who began the conversation by providing an overview of themes for the day, how the activities would be structured, and what guests could hope to achieve by participating in this unique, shared experience. After leading table introductions, the event then turned to the first discussions of the day.
Speakers from SpruceID, American Civil Liberties Union, and Tools for Humanity joined Public Knowledge moderator and Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas Garcia in a series of lightning talks on Decentralized Digital Identity. A Q&A followed the lightning talk to give participants a chance to engage the speakers directly.
Speakers from Free Our Feeds and Georgetown University then led the workshop in a fireside chat on Decentralized Social Media: Success Stories and Future Potential. The fireside chat kicked off a networking lunch with activities designed to help guests better connect with each other and the themes of the discussion.
Speakers from OpenMined, Georgetown’s Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics, the Foundation for American Innovation, and Georgetown University joined Public Knowledge moderator and Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas Garcia in a series of lightning talks on Artificial Intelligence. A Q&A followed the lightning talk to give participants a chance to engage the speakers directly. Public Knowledge then led a table discussion on the themes and questions raised during the lighting talks.
Following the lightning talks, Helen Toner, Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, keynoted the event by addressing the Unresolved Debates About the Future of AI. A Q&A and table discussion followed her commentary.
Speakers from RadicalxChange Foundation, the Foundation for American Innovation, the Foundation for American Innovation, the Berkman-Klein Center at Harvard University, and UnionBase joined Public Knowledge moderator and Senior Policy Counsel Nicholas Garcia in a second series of lightning talks on Artificial Intelligence. A Q&A followed the lightning talk to give participants a chance to engage the speakers directly. Public Knowledge then led a table discussion on the themes and questions raised during the lighting talks. Finally, the event culminated in an activity where guests drafted headlines from the future based on what they had discovered or found the most captivating from the day’s conversations.
Multiple companies and organizations joined the event to showcase some of the latest technology discussed in the panels. This showcase gives guests the opportunity to experience these emerging technologies directly so they can begin grasping both the practical and policy potential of these devices and how they might impact our society. You can glimpse the tech showcase for 2024 and even 2023 to learn more about this unique display.
In 2025, we were joined by:
Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web, a nonprofit stewarding the development of open-source software and open protocols for decentralized data storage and retrieval networks, featured Starling Lab’s framework for data integrity.
XR Association (XRA), which exhibited virtual reality (VR) hardware that enabled attendees to jump into immersive experiences, including the RayBan Meta Smart Glasses and Meta Quest VR headsets.
Reach out to Michele Ambadiang, our Events Manager, to sponsor this event, join the panel discussions, or participate in the tech showcase in 2026 to share your own world-changing technology. View our YouTube channel to experience more of this momentous event.
