Benjamin Boudreaux

Policy Researcher; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in philosophy, University of California at Berkeley; M.S. in foreign service, Georgetown University; B.A. in economics and philosophy, New York University

One Page Bio

Overview

Ben Boudreaux (he/him) is a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and a policy researcher at RAND working in the intersection of ethics, emerging technology, and human security. His current research focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence (including on algorithmic equity, biometric surveillance, and military AI) and on social media policy issues (such as misinformation). He leads the Pardee RAND Graduate School's ethics program, and teaches Ethics in Theory, Policy, and Practice and a course on complex systems policy design.

Prior to joining RAND, Boudreaux was a diplomat in the State Department's Cyber Policy office, where he worked to promote security, stability, and human rights in cyberspace, and led State's cyber operations portfolio. He also has research interests in conflict prevention, Middle Eastern and South Asian regional issues, and international migration.

Boudreaux holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley where he focused on ethical theory and political philosophy, a M.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in economics and philosophy from NYU.

Research Focus

Pardee RAND Graduate School Courses

Ethics in Policy and Practice

Previous Positions

Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State; Instructor, Prison University Project, San Quentin State Prison

Languages

French

Commentary

Mobile Health Surveillance Is Here to Stay, So How Do We Protect Privacy?
Mobile phone surveillance can augment public health interventions to manage COVID-19 and might help countries prepare for the next outbreak. But these programs collect sensitive health and behavior data. That raises significant risks to personal privacy and civil liberties.
Aug 20, 2020 Inside Sources
Does the U.S. Face an AI Ethics Gap?
Instead of worrying about an artificial intelligence “ethics gap,” U.S. policymakers and the military community could embrace a leadership role in AI ethics. This may help ensure that the AI arms race doesn't become a race to the bottom.
Jan 11, 2019 RealClearDefense
When Cyber Attacks Occur, Who Should Investigate?
Data breaches and cyberattacks cross geopolitical boundaries, targeting individuals, corporations and governments. Creating a global body with a narrow focus on investigating and assigning responsibility for cyberattacks could be the first step to creating a digital world with accountability.
Dec 6, 2018 United Press International

Publications

Report
Planning for Significant Cyber Incidents: An Introduction for Decisionmakers
This report describes contingency planning for a significant cyber incident, focusing on the importance of planning, the process of developing a plan, and options for operationalizing it. It summarizes a companion how-to guide by the same authors.
Jun 27, 2022
Report
The Department of Homeland Security's Use of Emerging Technologies: Why Public Perception Matters
This Perspective explores how public perception can influence the success of government technology deployments, ways to assess public perception, and how government agencies might account for public perception across that deployment life cycle.
Mar 21, 2022
Report
Competition and Restraint in Cyberspace: The Role of International Norms in Promoting U.S. Cybersecurity
The authors discuss the need and potential for norms constraining cyber aggression. They review the history of cyber norms and the current policies surrounding them and propose a renewed agenda for the United States to encourage their development.
Mar 4, 2022
Journal Article
Steps Towards Value-Aligned Systems
This paper argues for a more structured systems-level approach for assessing value-alignment in sociotechnical systems. We highlight how adopting a system perspective improves our ability to explain and address misbehaving algorithms better.
Mar 10, 2021
Report
The Internet of Bodies: Opportunities, Risks, and Governance
"Smart" devices are increasingly being used to monitor the human body. The authors examine these technologies; explore benefits, risks, and ethical implications; survey the regulatory landscape; and make recommendations to balance risks and rewards.
Oct 29, 2020
Report
Counter-Radicalization Bot Research: Using Social Bots to Fight Violent Extremism
As the online recruitment of violent extremist organizations grows, the U.S. government may benefit from promising emerging technology tools to rapidly detect targets of such recruitment efforts and deliver counter-radicalization content to them.
Oct 8, 2020
Journal Article
Private-Sector Attribution of Cyber Incidents: Benefits and Risks to the U.S. Government
This article addresses four questions on the relationship of private sector cyberintelligence companies with the U.S. Government.
Sep 1, 2020
Report
Data Privacy During Pandemics: A Scorecard Approach for Evaluating the Privacy Implications of COVID-19 Mobile Phone Surveillance Programs
As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide have deployed mobile phone surveillance programs to augment public health interventions. The authors examine how these programs can be implemented in ways that protect privacy.
Jul 30, 2020
Research Brief
Strengthening Privacy Protections in COVID-19 Mobile Phone–Enhanced Surveillance Programs
This report examines the privacy implications of the use of mobile phone surveillance programs for pandemics.
Jul 30, 2020
Report
Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Concerns in an Uncertain World
The authors of this report examine military applications of artificial intelligence (AI); compare development efforts in the United States, China, and Russia; and consider the ethical implications of employing military AI in war and peace.
Apr 28, 2020
Report
Algorithmic Equity: A Framework for Social Applications
This report is an examination of pathologies in social institutions' use of algorithmic decisionmaking processes. The primary focus is understanding how to evaluate the equitable use of algorithms across a range of specific applications.
Jul 11, 2019
Report
Stateless Attribution: Toward International Accountability in Cyberspace
This report reviews the state of cyber attribution and examines alternative options for producing standardized and transparent attribution that may overcome concerns about credibility.
Jun 2, 2017

Multimedia

1:38
What Is Contact Tracing?
Jul 7, 2020
9:27
Accountability in Cyberspace: The Problem of Attribution
Jan 14, 2019