Responsible Computing Challenge

Today, those creating new technologies wield tremendous power. The technologies they create influence everything from which news stories billions of people read to what personal data companies collect. While many of these technologies have facilitated new forms of connection and creativity, the benefits and harms of these technologies have not been distributed equally.

Through the Responsible Computing Challenge, Omidyar Network, Mozilla, Schmidt Futures, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Mellon Foundation, USAID, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund are educating a new wave of graduating technologists who will bring holistic thinking to the design of new technologies, fueling an industry-wide culture shift. The Challenge supports the conceptualization, development, and piloting of curricula that empowers students to think about the social and political context of computing.

Between 2018 and 2021, we awarded $3.5 million in prizes to curricula embedding ethics into undergraduate computer science education in the United States. Starting in 2022, the Challenge expanded globally to universities in Kenya and India, awarding up to $1.2 million to institutions. This expansion speaks to the global nature of computing and the ethical dilemmas and geographic inequities that often result from a narrow focus on technology in the U.S. and Europe.