Chatham House Digital Society Programme

Chatham House's Digital Society Programme investigates global governance at the frontiers of emerging technology, navigating areas of conflict, consensus and cooperation.

As digital technology reshapes societies, economies and global norms, technology governance is lagging.

Inclusive and effective global technology governance can empower individuals, communities, businesses and governments to benefit from shared technology futures. But the positive potential of global technology governance is undermined by rigid institutions, myopic policymaking and resource gaps.

Against this backdrop, new centres of digital power have emerged: the private sector plays a progressively proactive role in shaping global technology agendas. Digital technology is an increasingly important geopolitical lever, transforming how and why states compete and cooperate. Deep-seated divides have developed among states and between public and private actors: global fragmentations along lines of technology capacity, leadership and shared values.

The Digital Society Programme helps policy and technology communities to navigate this complex landscape. The programme uses its research and convening to bridge global divides and drives dialogue between old and emergent centres of technology power. It pursues this objective by: connecting global technology stakeholders, providing a space for candid dialogue, experimental collaboration, co-created outputs and mutual learning;
conducting leading, globally relevant research on emerging questions about technology, geopolitics and governance; and working proactively across Chatham House to champion and advance inter-disciplinary research on digital societies.

Currently, our research areas include: the governance of artificial intelligence; digital public infrastructure; international cooperation and competition on technology governance; the role of industry; inclusivity in technology and its policy; data governance and security; and disinformation.