This post has been reposted from Rethinking Tech's YouTube channel. View the original post HERE.

In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna talks with Stefaan Verhulst—co-founder of The GovLab and The Data Tank—about a powerful yet overlooked idea: PeaceTech.

💥 While the world races to fund DefenseTech, Stefaan argues it’s time to invest in tech that prevents war, counters misinformation, and rebuilds societies after conflict.

We explore:

🔹 What is PeaceTech—really?

🔹 Why it’s drastically underfunded

🔹 How AI, data, and policy can support peace

🔹 Cultural biases that make peace seem "soft"

🔹 The potential for PeaceTech to rival Palantir, Anduril & others

 

🕙 Chapters

00:00 Intro to Stefaan Verhulst and his work

03:56 Explaining PeaceTech

13:30 Cultural Barriers to PeaceTech

17:03 The Role of Technology in Conflict and Peace

20:47 Examples of Successful Peace Tech Innovations

24:49 The Future of PeaceTech and Its Potential

28:26 Final Thoughts & Advice on Peace Tech

Youtube: https://youtu.be/l2T2d8W_lio 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PywoladOWFN5zzm8np1AV?si=19342d3ace124f55 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-ep02-stefaan-verhulst-on-peacetech-rethinking-technology/id1795651530?i=1000717566934