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What is public interest technology? Public interest technology refers to the application of technology expertise to advance the public interest, generate public benefits, promote the public good.

Technology expertise is defined more broadly than engineering—it refers to a set of capabilities to create, apply, and use new technologies and an understanding of the core ethical, legal, policy, and societal dimensions of technological change. As technology becomes more of a governing force and is literally used by governments to govern, we need to cultivate a set of experts who can both wield the tools of the relevant technical domains and assess their social and political implications.

The definition is specific about the purpose which is sought by the application of technology expertise. The emphasis is on a notion of public interest or common good, as distinguished from the design of technology or technology policy to advance commercial or individual goals and interests. The public interest – while difficult to define – is understood to reflect the welfare of society in general, rather than the welfare of a particular individual, group, or company.