The tradition of posing important or intriguing questions is deeply ingrained in the scientific community. Renowned mathematician Paul Erdős, for instance, is well-known for presenting his queries to students and colleagues, some of which remain unresolved. The Clay Mathematics Institute also maintains a list of seven Millennium Problems, six of which are yet to be solved. Among these is the P = NP problem, a crucial question in computational complexity theory and evidently a favorite of the Office of Technology.
The quest for understanding how science and technology impact people continues to evolve. Fortunately, not all these questions necessitate solving profound problems like P = NP. From commercial surveillance to market dynamics around AI tech stack layers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has consistently encouraged knowledge exchange across a wide range of topics related to changes in the tech ecosystem. However, there are swiftly evolving issues that the Commission interacts with that could benefit from further research and insights.
At the FTC, rapid technological development and deployment are informing efforts across the agency as it continues to promote fair competition and protect Americans from unfair or deceptive tactics. The Office of Technology (OT), whose mandate includes highlighting market trends and emerging technologies that impact the agency's work, regularly engages with external stakeholders through workshops, research conferences, and discussions to understand key trends and developing issues.
In this context, OT presents several questions relevant to its work that require further research. These questions do not indicate any specific agency position on a given topic. OT is interested in learning more about these issues and recognizes that researchers can draw on various information sources including professional expertise, practical experience, anecdotal evidence as well as diverse research methods.
OT welcomes ongoing dialogue with researchers, civil society organizations, companies about pressing technological issues facing the public. Some current areas of interest include AI-enabled frauds and scams; AI and competition; algorithmic pricing; surveillance & data privacy; data security; open models; platform design; digital capacity.
It's important to note that the agency is not requesting submissions to the questions posed, nor is it commissioning research. The objective is to facilitate a deeper understanding of these issues and foster knowledge exchange.
