Technology and the Public Interest
Books, essays, and commentary from John Palfrey
Essays
Notes from AI Action Summit in Delhi, India, February 2026
Reflections on AI, governance, and the public interest from the AI Action Summit in Delhi.
Read essayConcord Free Public Library 150th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks on libraries, civic institutions, and the enduring importance of public knowledge.
Read essayInvesting in the Arts—in Chicago and Beyond
Thoughts on philanthropy, culture, and why investing in the arts matters for public life.
Read essayCommentary from John Palfrey
-
2021 World Health Day Keynote, University of Chicago
World Health Day Keynote Address Center for Global Health, University of Chicago John Palfrey, April 7, 2021 Thank you, Dr. Olopade, for your kind introduction. Thanks to Dean Gorman-Smith and all of you at the University of Chicago Center for Global Health for inviting me to speak this morning in honor of World Health Day.…
-
2021 Klinsky Lecture, Harvard Law School
Klinsky Lecture: Technology in the Public InterestHarvard Law SchoolApril 2021John Palfrey Thank you, Dean Manning, for your kind introduction and for the opportunity to serve as the Klinsky Visiting Professor of Practice for Leadership and Progress in this auspicious year. It is such a treat to be back with all of you at Harvard Law…
-
International Women’s Day 2021
I was very pleased to be able to join Hafsat Abiola, CEO of Women in Africa, to celebrate International Women’s Day for 2021. The video is posted. My fellow panelists were His Excellency Prof. Osinbajo, Vice President of Nigeria and Dr. Hassan El Shabrawishi, CEO of AXA in Africa. It was good to be able…
-
New book coming out: The Connected Parent
With my friend and collaborator Urs Gasser, I have a new book coming out this fall — The Connected Parent: An Expert Guide to Parenting in a Digital World. It’s a close cousin of our previous book, Born Digital: How Children Grow Up in a Digital Age. In this new book, we apply the findings…
-
Thirtieth Anniversary of Andover’s GSA and Trans Rights
This weekend, the Andover community celebrates the thirtieth annual weekend gathering of the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (G.S.A.). This important milestone merits attention and reflection. The G.S.A. has played a central role in supporting students (and adults, for that matter) of all genders and sexualities on campus at Andover. This week also marks the publication by the…
-
Remarks at Richard T. Greener Quadrangle Dedication
Richard T. Greener Quadrangle dedication September 29, 2018 John Palfrey, Head of School, Phillips Academy Welcome students and parents, faculty and staff, trustees and alumni to the Richard T. Greener Quadrangle. Thank you, Linda Carter Griffith, for blazing your own trail as the first Assistant Head of School for Equity, Inclusion and Wellness—not only at…
-
Start of School 2018
The New York Times published a terrific Magazine this Sunday on education. The cover reads: “Teachers just want to teach but the classroom has become a battleground.” I’m not sure that’s exactly “news” this fall but it is absolutely true. Two of the articles in particular were worth reading and reflecting on as we start…
-
Celebration of AfLatAm@50 at Phillips Academy
John Palfrey Opening Remarks – Celebration of AfLatAm@50 April, 2018 Good evening. Let me please begin by thanking Emily Ndiokho, Class of 2018, for her leadership tonight in MC-ing this event and also for her leadership throughout her time at Andover. As president of AfLatAm this year — in fact, the 50th president of AfLatAm…
-
Head of School Bookshelf, 2017-2018
Each term as head of school at Phillips Academy, I’ve put out a series of books for the faculty to enjoy. Colleagues are free to keep the books, pass them along to others, or bring them back to the bookshelf in the head of school’s office. I choose titles that relate in one way or…
-
School heads stand in solidarity, call for action against gun violence
Gun violence must be addressed urgently. I can think of no topic more worthy of our nation’s leaders’ time and focus. Today, I join with fellow heads of school comprising the Eight Schools Association in support of the following statement: We, the heads of independent secondary schools comprising the Eight Schools Association, stand in solidarity with our students and…
-
January 12 Community Letter
Today, I wrote to the Andover community with an update on new and ongoing initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. My full message can be read online.