March 7, 2023
Unfinished Newsletters
Peruse Unfinished's weekly newsletters to explore key issues at the intersection of tech, ethics, and society.
Read More
Unfinished Stories
Follow along the recent stories and highlights from Unfinished.
NEWS
May 24, 2022
Tech Teams Behind Project Liberty and Polkadot Join Forces to Advance Vision of Web3 that Empowers Users, Protects Privacy, and Unlocks Social Graph from Grip of Social Media Giants
New collaboration leverages the power of Polkadot's technology to advance Project Liberty's Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) as the core social layer of tomorrow's internet
Read More
May 23, 2022
Unfinished and the Web3 Foundation Explore the Future of the Web
Unfinished and our partners at the Web3 Foundation convene inspiring technologists, policy-makers, academics, journalists, and others for a slate of programming live from Davos during the week of the World Economic Forum.
Read Announcement
November 16, 2021 | Article
How to Fight ‘Information Disorder’ Without Restricting Free Speech
Mis- and disinformation will always exist in free democracies, but communities can still find ways to push back against the most harmful conspiracy theories
Read Article
November 12, 2021 | Newsletter
Editor’s Letter: Who Is the Metaverse Really for?
In this week's Unfinished newsletter: Understanding who metaverse products like virtual reality spaces are engineered for, and who gets left out.
Read Newsletter
November 9, 2021 | Announcement
The Digital Ad Bubble Is About to Burst: Join Unfinished and DPLA for a Special Event
On December 9, Unfinished and the Digital Public Library of America host a live book talk with "Subprime Attention Crisis" author Tim Hwang
Read Announcement
November 5, 2021 | Article
Editor’s Letter: Questionable Decisions in the Metaverse
In this week's Unfinished newsletter: Disentangling sketchy crypto investments from the brighter possibilities ahead, and a new book recommendation.
Read Article
November 2, 2021 | Article
Postcards From a Decentralized Future
Experts in political science, biotech, and tech in China share perspectives on the many impacts of decentralization.
Read Article
November 1, 2021 | Article
A New Media Ecosystem Within Digital Publishing
In an effort to tell better stories and connect more with readers, many reporters are choosing to go independent.
Read Article
October 27, 2021 | Article
Decentralized Art Is Powering Activist Movements
Aesthetics are part of culture, and culture defines how we see the world.
Read Article
October 25, 2021 | Article
Remote Work Can Revolutionize Your Sense of Self
Work "is not the axis around which everything else rotates," says "Out of Office" co-author Anne Helen Petersen.
Read Article
October 19, 2021 | Article
How to Build A.I. That Serves Humanity, Not Venture Capitalists
Salespeople often promote the tech as mysterious and all-powerful, obscuring biases and preventing people from questioning its purpose
Read Article
October 18, 2021 | Article
Making Sense of the Backlash Against Big Tech
Regulators, employees, and users are increasingly fed up with Silicon Valley. Will their anger lead to meaningful change?
Read Article
October 14, 2021 | Article
‘You Can’t Just Engineer It Away’: Why Good Tech Requires Real Governance
It’s a never-ending process, because it’s impossible to predict how humanity will adapt to innovation
Read Article
October 12, 2021 | Article
Why a 118-Year-Old Newspaper Launched an NFT Project
The South China Morning Post wants to use the blockchain to preserve and monetize its historical archive
Read Article
October 11, 2021 | Article
What the Internet Can Learn From Trees
To solve digital challenges, communities should look for insights beyond the tech industry
Read Article
October 8, 2021 | Article
How Universities, Nonprofits, and Corporations Can Win Back Trust
In an era where confidence in traditional institutions is low, listening has become more important than ever
Read Article
October 6, 2021 | Article
Reimagining Social Networking as Public Infrastructure
Project Liberty is a new initiative that will overhaul the architecture of the digital world
Read Article
October 5, 2021 | Article
Ethereum Co-Founder Gavin Wood: Blockchain Needs ‘Clear Governance’
"After a couple of years of Ethereum, it became clear what was missing," Wood said in an interview at Unfinished Live
Read Article
October 5, 2021 | Article
The Lab Safeguarding Humanity’s Most Sensitive Records
The Starling Lab is using decentralized technology to preserve evidence of human rights abuses, starting with 55,000 testimonials from genocide survivors
Read Article
October 4, 2021 | Article
How Technology Makes Democracies Stronger
Tech is criticized for fueling polarization and misinformation, but Taiwan’s first digital minister argues it can also make governments more resilient
Read Article
October 4, 2021 | Article
This Is How You Make Silicon Valley More Equitable
Civil rights leader Rashad Robinson says that in order to enact change, he needed to "force people to be nervous about disappointing us"
Read Article
October 1, 2021 | Article
How the Mindset of ‘Incessant Optimization’ Rotted Silicon Valley
The internet needs new systems that aren’t only centered around efficiency
Read Article
September 22, 2021 | Announcement
Announcing the Clubhouse Lounge at Unfinished Live
A first-of-its-kind event series with the social audio platform
Read Announcement
September 8, 2021 | Announcement
Join the Decentralized Audio Experiment at Unfinished Live
Lend your voice to unique conversations about our rapidly changing world — led by host Anna Sale (WNYC's "Death Sex and Money", "Let's Talk About Hard Things"). Visit Unfinished Live on September 23 and 24 to participate.
Read Announcement
June 20, 2021 | Article
A Real Estate Mogul Has a $100 Million Plan to Save the Internet
"Project Liberty would use blockchain to construct a new internet infrastructure called the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol."
Read News
April 29, 2021 | Announcement
Unfinished Welcomes Angela Glover Blackwell As Network Chairperson
Unfinished announced Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence of PolicyLink, as the inaugural Chairperson of the Unfinished Network.
Read Announcement
April 27, 2021 | Article
Frank McCourt: Tech’s Super League Is Already Here
"What happened to the Super League isn’t just about football. It’s about capitalism and democracy, and whether we stand up against attempts to consolidate wealth and power."
Read Article
March 26, 2021 | Article
Georgetown alum pledges second $100 million gift to public policy school
Frank McCourt is breaking down barriers to entry by funding financial aid, scholarships, faculty and research.
Read Article
February 17, 2021 | Newsletter
Unfinished February 2021 Newsletter
What would your 2021 billboard ask? We take inspiration from the artists in all 50 states who shared their most urgent questions, hopes, and concerns about our nation’s future as part of our Billboard project with For Freedoms. Now we’re asking you.
Read Newsletter
December 7, 2020 | Press Release
Unfinished Live Episode 4 Asks “What’s Possible Now?
"Questions, Culture + Change" streams December 8 and features Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, rock legend Bruce Springsteen, Unfinished CEO and Chairman Frank McCourt and other leaders at the forefront of cultural change.
Read Press Release
December 1, 2020 | Article
An Unfinished Beginning
For many Americans, it’s clear that the old way of solving big problems with individual actors does not work—and that the topics at the forefront of social dialogue around the economy, democracy, technology, and culture will require innovative approaches.
Read Article
November 23, 2020 | Press Release
Unfinished Live Episode 3 Asks “Is Technology Driving Progress or Chaos?”
"Technology + Humanity" streams November 24 and features former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, activist and punk rock star Nadya Tolokonnikova, Co-Founder and President of the Center for Humane Technology Tristan Harris, and other luminaries in tech and social change.
Read Press Release
November 9, 2020 | Press Release
Unfinished Live Episode Two Explores “How Does America Begin to Heal?”
The second episode of a four-part series, "Democracy + Voice" streams November 10 and features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and speakers from Citizen University, the Harvard Kennedy School and more.
Read Press Release
October 26, 2020 | Press Release
Unfinished Debuts New Online Show Unfinished Live Exploring “What’s Possible Now?” in Four-Part Series
First livestream episode, "Economy + Justice," debuts Oct. 27, 2020, featuring Baratunde Thurston, Angela Glover Blackwell, Julián Castro, Abigail Disney and David Leonhardt, and in collaboration with Unfinished Network partners including Ashoka, Aspen Institute, Ford Foundation and Georgetown University, among others.
Read Press Release
October 23, 2020 | Blog
Social Networks Have Eroded Trust. Let’s Change the Technology.
We believe a unified, universally accessible, and decentralized social graph is the essential first step in giving the Internet back to society. Let’s build it together.
Read Blog