danah boyd, Data Are Made, Not Found
A book recommendation and notes about when and where the public can engage with Prof. danah boyd regarding Data Are Made, Not Found (University of Chicago Press, 2026).
John Palfrey
Philanthropies: Let’s Give More, Ask Less during this time of crisis for non-profits
It is high time for philanthropy to give more and ask less of our grantee and investee partners, against the backdrop of a crisis in the charitable non-profit sector.
Democracy: Our American Experiment, The Massachusetts Opportunity
I returned to Boston this week for the annual meeting of Philanthropy Massachusetts. We discussed the importance of courage, leadership, and meeting the moment in this period of peril for our democracy. There is much more that each one of us can do to support our non-profit partners, grantees, and investees.
Collective Action for the First Amendment
A free press and the First Amendment matter to our democracy in America. Collective action is essential to upholding the First Amendment. Democracy will not sustain itself.
A New Day for Governing AI Development?
Trying out a new maxim: the more powerful a technology, the more concern people will have about deploying it, with Artificial Intelligence as the latest example.
Holding up more voices in this big week in the history of Artificial Intelligence
A big weekend for Artificial Intelligence — in terms of a focus on how to govern it effectively, not just racing to develop it as quickly as possible at all costs.
When Authoritarians Attack Science, Democracy Is the Real Target
Around the world, authoritarian movements are attacking science to weaken democracy: cutting research funding, smearing scientists, and spreading mis- and disinformation. This piece argues that defending free scientific inquiry is part of defending democratic institutions and calls on citizens, funders, and leaders to actively support science and truth.
Reimagining AI: Philanthropy’s Role in Global Collaboration
Verity Harding of the University of Cambridge pulled together an anthology of essays about Artificial Intelligence and Geopolitics as of early 2026. I urge you to read everyone’s essays. I re-post my own short piece below. Our investments at MacArthur Foundation in this area fall under the program entitled Technology and the Public Interest. We … Read more
Radcliffe Day 2026: Honoring Dr. Ruth Simmons
John Palfrey, May 29, 2026, Cambridge, MA, USA Thank you, Dean Brown-Nagin, and all Radcliffe Institute staff for putting on such a wonderful day for us all. Thank you for the invitation to moderate this panel on leadership. Thank you most of all for the chance to be among the many, many people who have … Read more
What I look for in a short essay
Guidance on Writing Short EssaysFirst written in 2012 for high school students in my courses at Andover, lightly edited in 2026 to share for no particular reason other than a student somewhere might find it here. The length I expect for the short papers is roughly a page or two. The sweet-spot is 750 words, … Read more