Ginette Lu

This thesis focuses on cyberspace governance and accountability in tech. There are currently no well-established structures for regulation in the tech industry; everything is in a state of disarray. Drawing from my own research, I wrote three critical essays and re-imagined the game of chess to more accurately reflect our technocentric society.

Normally, the object of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s King. In this game, however, the object is not to win in the traditional sense but to establish a level playing field. The initial set-up is extremely unfair: the Users’ side (white pieces) only has Individuals (Pawns), while the Techies’ side (black pieces) has double the number of powerful pieces. It is up to the players to debate what pieces should be added and how the rules might be amended for the Users’ side to achieve equilibrium with the Techies’ side.

The essays include one piece on my personal experience working for a tech start-up, while the others focus on more philosophical examinations of technology's relationship with and influence on modern culture, ethics, and emerging economies.