David Evan Harris
LightNews LightNews
banner
davidevanharris.com
David Evan Harris
@davidevanharris.com
1.3K followers 340 following 67 posts
Chancellor's Public Scholar @UCBerkeleyofficial.bsky.social

Advisor/Fellow: @BrennanCenter.bsky.social, CA Initiative for Tech & Democracy, Int’l Computer Science Inst., Ctr. for Int’l Governance Innovation

https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/harris-david/
Posts Replies Media Videos
davidevanharris.com
Hot off Tech Policy Press! While fed inaction leaves ppl—including children—exposed to deepfakes, data abuse & bias, California is stepping up, write Drew Liebert & David Evan Harris from the Calif. Initiative for Tech and Democracy (CITED). More work ahead... www.techpolicy.press/california-i...
California Is Getting its ‘AI Act’ Together | TechPolicy.Press
Drew Liebert and David Evan Harris share perspective from the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), a project of California Common Cause.
www.techpolicy.press
October 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
davidevanharris.com
WE DID IT!!! Gov. Newsom has signed the California AI Transparency Act of 2025 (AB 853) into law! This first-in-nation bill from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks requires online platforms to give users with a clear way to differentiate AI-generated & real content.
@governor.ca.gov @buffywicks.bsky.social
1931 OFFICE O F THE GOVERNOR OCT 1 3 2025 To the Members o f the California State Assembly: 1 am signing Assembly Bill 853, which strengthens the California Al Transparency Act t o ensure that Californians can begin t o reliably assess whether digital content is generated o r modified using artificial intelligence (Al). The proliferation o f Al-generated content is having a profound effect o n all o f us, particularly as the rapidly evolving technology becomes increasingly easy t o access and distribute, and the content itself becomes more and more difficult to distinguish from reality. This bill is a critical step in allowing us t o clearly distinguish the real from the synthetic, and thereby enhance trust in the use o f A l i n our everyday lives. As with the regulation of any nascent technology, some stakeholders remain concerned that provisions of the bill, while well-intentioned, present implementation challenges that could lead t o unintended consequences, including impairment of user privacy. I encourage the Legislature to enact follow-up legislation in 2026, before the law takes effect, t o address these technical feasibility issues without jeopardizing its intent t o enhance the safety and security Ø f all Californians. avin Newso GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM • SACRAMENTO, C A 95814 • (916) 445-2841
October 17, 2025 at 12:45 AM
davidevanharris.com
Congratulations to @yoshuabengio.bsky.social and team for appropriately moving to keep this critical report up to date at a brisk cadence!
yoshuabengio.bsky.social Yoshua Bengio @yoshuabengio.bsky.social · 29d
AI is evolving too quickly for an annual report to suffice. To help policymakers keep pace, we're introducing the first Key Update to the International AI Safety Report. 🧵⬇️

(1/10)
October 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
davidevanharris.com
I testified on the California AI Transparency Act of 2025 with @buffywicks.bsky.social and @mouniribrahim.bsky.social in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill passed out of committee 11-0! Here's the video: youtu.be/vYQmG7QWSHk
California AI Transparency Act of 2025 - Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
YouTube video by David Evan Harris
youtu.be
July 22, 2025 at 6:11 PM
davidevanharris.com
My latest piece is live!
June 23, 2025 at 6:27 PM
davidevanharris.com
Good news for content authenticity and AI transparency from the California State Assembly! AB 853 passed 9-0 out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee this week! Here are some highlights from the hearings where I testified alongside Assemblymember Buffy Wicks! #AI #AIPolicy #AB853
Hearings on AB 853 (Wicks) in California State Assembly Judiciary and Privacy Committees
YouTube video by David Evan Harris
youtu.be
May 1, 2025 at 11:56 PM
davidevanharris.com
“‘This Is What We Were Always Scared of’: DOGE Is Building a Surveillance State“ Brilliant and very disturbing article from @juliaangwin.com of the @nytimes.com with quotes from @bankston.bsky.social & @paulohm.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/o...
Opinion | Elon Musk’s Legacy: DOGE’s Construction of a Surveillance State
DOGE is rapidly assembling a sprawling monitoring system, the foundation of many authoritarian regimes.
www.nytimes.com
April 30, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
brennancenter.org
The problem of tariffs goes beyond stock market decline. They open the door to lobbying, favoritism, and graft.
A Second Gilded Age
Tariffs and favoritism are signs of a poisoned political era.
www.brennancenter.org
April 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
jonkeegan.com
Noticed a bunch of these ornate gold medallions slapped all over the Oval Office. We found em on Alibaba. “High-density Home Decoration Polyurethane Appliques Ornament PU Foam Veneer Accessories” from seller Guangzhou Homemax Decorative Material Limited.

sherwood.news/power/shop-t...
The Oval Office A screenshot from Alibaba A comparison of the photo from the Oval Office and an item on Alibaba. The Oval Office
April 15, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
anneapplebaum.bsky.social
He still doesn't know who started the war. Or pretends not to know
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Apr 14
Trump has fully turned on Zelenskyy: "He's always looking to purchase missiles. Listen, when you start a war, you gotta know you can win a war. You don't start a war against somebody that's 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles."
April 14, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
counterhate.com
“Protecting individuals—especially minors—from exploitative algorithms, harmful content, and many of the other dangers stemming from the devices in our hands starts with speaking up.”

Madi Parsons is bravely speaking up to curb the amplification of online harms.

Read more👇
buff.ly/fPEtiCL
March 7, 2025 at 7:31 PM
davidevanharris.com
Just released! "Generative AI, Democracy and Human Rights." Ever heard of the "freedom of thought"? Well now you have! This is a central topic of my latest work w/ Aaron Shull of the Centre for International Governance Innovation. #AI #FreedomOfThought #HumanRights www.cigionline.org/publications...
Generative AI, Democracy and Human Rights
Disinformation is not new, but given how disinformation campaigns are constructed, there is almost no stage that will not be rendered more effective by the use of generative artificial intelligence.
www.cigionline.org
March 3, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
brennancenter.org
Defending Trump’s power grab with the “unitary executive theory” is just a fancy way of claiming the president can rule the executive branch like a monarch. This argument has no basis in history or the Constitution.
The Extreme Legal Theory Behind Trump’s First Month in Office
The unitary executive theory upends our understanding of the Constitution.
www.brennancenter.org
March 3, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
mmasnick.bsky.social
Oh.
bradheath.bsky.social Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · Feb 25
A newly hired advisor at DOJ is a former judge who received what was then Oregon's longest-ever suspension for misconduct.

He also made the news for "for having hung a picture of Adolf Hitler in his courthouse."

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doj-hir...
February 25, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
marisakabas.bsky.social
This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source.

Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
February 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
davidevanharris.com
My reflections on the Paris AI Action Summit: www.linkedin.com/pulse/rememb... #AI #AIActionSummit
Remember JD-Day // Mr. Harris Goes to Paris
Bearing Witness in Paris Sometimes we have to bear witness before we can take action. If you followed my posts about the Paris AI Action Summit last week, you probably know that I’m unhappy with the o...
www.linkedin.com
February 21, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
jordicalbad.bsky.social
If you're interested in AI, don’t miss our #virtual session at #RightsCon 2025: "T&S in Gen AI: Agreeing on Principles for Freedom and Safety." I’m honored to moderate a discussion with thought leaders @davidevanharris.com, Sarah Shirazyan, and @sayash.bsky.social.
February 20, 2025 at 7:55 PM
davidevanharris.com
Thanks so much @alexreevegivens.bsky.social for your continued work on this and for calling attention to our report!
February 19, 2025 at 1:14 AM
davidevanharris.com
Just leaked! Disappointing alleged draft declaration from Paris AI “Action” Summit is focused on everything but action. My thoughts here: www.linkedin.com/posts/davide... also, hello from Paris! #AIActionSummit
TRANSFORMER Here's the full draft statement, dated 30/01/2025. Al Action Summit Co-chaired by France and India 10-11 February, 2025, Paris Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet 1. Participants from XX countries, including government leaders, international organisations, representatives of civil society, the private sector, and the academic and research communities gathered in Paris on 10 and 11 February 2025 to hold the Al Action Summit. Rapid development of Al technologies represents a major paradigm shift, impacting our citizens, and societies in many ways. In line with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and the principles that countries must have ownership of their transition strategies, we have identified priorities and launched concrete actions to advance the public interest and to bridge digital divides through accelerating progress towards the SDGs. Our actions are grounded in three main principles of science, solutions - focusing on open Al models in compliance with countries frameworks - and policy standards, in line with international frameworks. 2. This Summit has highlighted the importance of reinforcing the diversity of the Al ecosystem. It has laid an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach that will enable Al to be human rights based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy while also stressing the need and urgency to narrow the inequalities and assist developing countries in artificial intelligence capacity-building so they can build Al capacities. 3. Acknowledging existing multilateral initiatives on Al, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of Al, the African Union Continental Al Strategy, and the works of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the council of Europe and European Union, the G7 including the Hiroshima Al Process and G20, we have affirmed the follo… To deliver on these priorities: • Founding members have launched a major Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator, to support, amplify, decrease fragmentation between existing public and private initiatives on Public Interest Al and address digital divides. The Public interest Al Initiative will sustain and support digital public goods and technical assistance and capacity building projects in data, model development, openness and transparency, audit, compute, talent, financing and collaboration to support and co-create a trustworthy Al ecosystem advancing the public interest of all, for all and by all. • We have discussed, at a Summit for the first time and in a multi-stakeholder format, issues related to Al and energy. This discussion has led to sharing knowledge to foster investments for sustainable Al systems (hardware, infrastructure, models), to promoting an international discussion on Al and environment, to welcoming an observatory on the energy impact of Al with the International Energy Agency, to showcasing energy-friendly Al innovation. • We recognize the need to enhance our shared knowledge on the impacts of Al in the job market, though the creation of network of Observatories, to better anticipate Al implications for workplaces, training and education and to use Al to staThe country that stormed the Bastille can than this!1 4. We recognize the need for inclusive multistak he eater ence a mersakeholder aalogue nd cooperation on Al governance. We underline the need for a global reflection integrating inter alia questions of safety, sustainable development, innovation, respect of international laws including humanitarian law and human rights law and the protection of human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights. We take notes of efforts and discussions related to international fora where Al governance is examined. As outlined in the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN General Assembly…
February 9, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
spectrum.ieee.org
Yep. Last year we published this opinion article from @davidevanharris.com who argues that open-source #AI is a bag of worms. spectrum.ieee.org/open-source-... #deepseek
Open-Source AI Is Uniquely Dangerous
​But the regulations that could rein it in would benefit all of AI
spectrum.ieee.org
January 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM
davidevanharris.com
If the US wants to “win” the AI race, maybe we shouldn’t give away cutting edge models to the rest of the world, and instead treat them the way we treat other sensitive dual-use technologies, limiting access as done with nuclear, biomedical & chemical research. See www.cigionline.org/articles/not...
Not Open and Shut: How to Regulate Unsecured AI
www.cigionline.org
January 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
niallstanage.bsky.social
🚨 The Department of Justice, in more normal times, provided updates on Jan. 6 cases — total number of charges, guilty pleas, convictions and so forth.

Here’s what happens now.

Literally an attempt to erase history.
January 25, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Reposted by David Evan Harris
samidh.bsky.social
Will Meta's retreat from proactive/automated enforcement of its community standards lead to Instagram and Facebook becoming deeper cess pools? Well, it's complicated and the devil will be in the details. Let's look at the data and see what questions we should be asking... 🧵 1/12
January 10, 2025 at 6:37 PM
davidevanharris.com
Excellent take on Meta's announcement today from one of the most qualified people on the planet to assess it. Glad to see you using your voice here @samidh.bsky.social!
samidh.bsky.social Samidh @samidh.bsky.social · Jan 7
Here's my "fact check" on Meta's announcement that it is terminating its fact checking program. The TL;DR: Pay more attention to product changes than to political pandering. THREAD...
January 7, 2025 at 8:17 PM
davidevanharris.com
I sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the The Ethical Tech Digest, a publication from Stanford University community members in the Ethics, Technology + Public Policy for Practitioners class, which I took ~3 years ago. Enjoy! www.theethicaltechdigest.org/q-a-with-dav...
Q&A with David Evan Harris David Evan Harris was named one of Business Insider’s top 100 people in AI in 2023. We sat down with Harris to discuss his views on equitable AI, the militarization of AI, election integrity, and fostering ethical tech ecosystems. David Evan Harris was named one of Business Insider’s top 100 people in AI in 2023. Harris recently began serving as a Member of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Election Security Advisory Committee, convened by Arizona’s Secretary of State. As the Chancellor's Public Scholar at UC Berkeley and Continuing Lecturer at the Haas School of Business, he teaches courses on AI Ethics, Social Movements & Social Media, and Civic Technology. Harris has held positions in the U.S. government and founded the Global Lives Project in 2004, an initiative building a video library of daily life worldwide. We sat down with Harris to discuss his views on equitable AI, the militarization of AI, and fostering ethical tech ecosystems. Sudeshna Mukherjee (SM): Your career spans academia, the private sector, and the nonprofit world. How do you leverage these experiences in your work on Artificial Intelligence (AI)?? David Evan Harris (DEH): Now that I'm doing more work in academia and the nonprofit sector, people value my firsthand experience of how decisions are made inside big tech companies. People in government have called upon me to share my views because they lack access to people with inside experience in tech companies who aren't currently employed there. In the past year, I’ve testified almost a dozen times before legislative bodies—in San Francisco, Sacramento, and most recently, the US Senate. Right now, my big focus is trying to get AI legislation passed. We had two big wins recently with AB 2839 and AB 2655—two bills banning election-related deepfakes—in California just getting signed by the governor. This was the result of the work of the team at the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED). SM: W…
December 6, 2024 at 9:56 PM