Harvard Kennedy School

10/16/2026

AI overhang, which is when AI capabilities have far surpassed the ways in which people typically use the tools, has the potential to be a "recipe for disruption," according to HKS Professor and computer scientist Stephen Casper. However, there are options to avoid the overhang by regulating the supply chain.

10/16/2026

"Safety is the handmaiden to speed and innovation.": Both China and the United States are facing safety concerns surrounding the development of artificial intelligence; Jake Sullivan, a Harvard professor and former U.S. National Security Advisor, feels that safety regulations and AI guardrails will assist in America's AI innovation by gathering greater public support.

10/15/2026

Should we be giving voters more credit for their ability to evaluate candidates? While conventional wisdom has held that when a strong candidate runs at the "top of the ticket," "down ballot" candidates in the same party benefit. However, HKS's Benjamin Schneer has found that voters actually make decisions based on the quality of each candidate and their ideology, not based on who is at the top of the ticket.

Research indicates that top-of-the-ticket candidates may not influence how voters view down-ballot candidates as much as conventional wisdom suggests.

10/14/2026

Meet American Service Fellow Adam Caruso MC/MPA 2027, whose 20-year career in the U.S. Army taught him that hard problems are rarely isolated to one place. Now at HKS, he’s studying how leaders can organize people and institutions to address problems that no single agency or sector can solve alone.

“The connection between government leadership and the hardest problems we need to solve in policy, politics, and good governance really became clear when I came here,” he says.

Read more about Adam, a member of the inaugural cohort of American Service Fellows.

For American Service Fellow Adam Caruso MC/MPA 2027, hard problems are rarely isolated to one place. They span battlefields, laboratories, government offices, universities, and the private sector—and often move faster than any one institution can respond.

10/14/2026

"The First Amendment is the backbone of our Constitution." - Don Lemon on the Trump administration's repeated attacks on freedom of the press, including his arrest in January as well as the press bans in the White House and the Pentagon

10/13/2026

HKS Professor and computer scientist Stephen Casper believes anyone can learn about AI governance and stay on top of what is happening in the field. He shares his perspective on AI safety, what people should be thinking about when interfacing with these tools, and the future of AI challenges.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty member and computer scientist Stephen Casper explains how AI safety goes far beyond a technical problem—and says anyone can get informed.

10/12/2026

Meet American Service Fellow Patrick Daley MC/MPA 2027. As Norwich, Connecticut’s chief of police, he’s using his year at HKS to explore innovative ways to make his community a better place to live.

“I want to take all the cumulative intelligence of the School, my classmates, and my new professional network, and bring those insights back to Norwich, where I can put common-sense solutions into practice,” he says.

Read more about Patrick, a member of the inaugural cohort of American Service Fellows.

American Service Fellow Patrick Daley MC/MPA 2027 hopes to take what he learns at HKS back to Norwich, Connecticut, where he serves as chief of police.

10/12/2026

Admiral Mike Rogers was promoted to the head of the NSA at the height of the Edward Snowden scandal in 2014; Admiral Rogers was forced to use his leadership skills to keep his team focused on their duties while working to reestablish trust with the American people.

10/11/2026

"Sometimes leadership just happens.": In 2014, Doc Rivers had to rally the Los Angeles Clippers through a playoff run marred by the scandal involving then-owner Donald Sterling. In the midst of an employee walkout, Rivers prepared the Clippers for a crucial Game 7 win against the Golden State Warriors.

10/10/2026

Sierra Leone is home to many rare earth minerals that are necessary in the development of technology; Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio describes how this has caused strain between his nation and the United States government, as the U.S. demands access to these resources while restricting educational access to the Sierra Leonean people.

Watch the full Forum: ken.sc/maada-forum.