Past Topics

Explore the wide range of debate topics we’ve tackled over the years—spanning AI, cybersecurity, policy, ethics, and more.

Veterans in Tech & Cyber Careers

May 1, 2025Veterans.Technology (AWS Skills Center)

CybersecurityAI

AI: Job Creator or Job Destroyer?

June 27, 2024NovaSci x Appian (Appian Office (McLean, VA))

AILaborEthics

Cybersecurity, Privacy, & Surveillance

April 11, 2025NYU (New York, NY)

AICybersecurityData Privacy

Is Generative AI Enhancing the Storytelling and User Experience in Game Development?

June 26, 2025NovaSci x Leidos (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AIGamingStorytelling

Can You Remove the Human Bias Built Into Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning?

June 26, 2025NovaSci x Leidos (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AIEthicsBias

Would AI-Driven Surveillance Increase Passenger Safety at Airports?

June 26, 2025NovaSci x Leidos (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AISurveillanceSafety Tech

Will AI Improve Medical Diagnostics and Patient Care?

June 30, 2025NovaSci x CGI (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AIHealthcareDiagnostics

Is Artificial Intelligence an Environmental Culprit or a Sustainable Solution?

June 30, 2025NovaSci x CGI (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AIClimate TechSustainability

Should AI-Powered Autonomous Systems Be Given Greater Control Over Satellite Operations?

June 30, 2025NovaSci x CGI (NovaSci Science Center, Reston, VA)

AISpaceAutonomy

AI Unplugged: Navigating the Future and Ethical Dilemma of Generative AI

March 7, 2025West Virginia University (West Virginia University)

AIEthicsData Privacy

Responsibility of Protecting Data

February 21, 2025Common Cyber Fusion (Virginia Military Institute)

CybersecurityData Privacy

Artificial General Intelligence

February 21, 2025Common Cyber Fusion (Virginia Military Institute)

AIAGIEthics

Open Source Software

February 21, 2025Common Cyber Fusion (Virginia Military Institute)

CybersecurityOpen Source

How does the United States best prepare for new labor market realities?

November 21, 2024JFF (Virtual Event)

EconomicsLaborPolicy

Should we implement supports like Universal Basic Income or Guaranteed Employment?

November 21, 2024JFF (Virtual Event)

EconomicsPolicySocial Justice

AI vs Zero Trust: Securing the Nation's Infrastructure

November 7, 2024Amazon Web Services (Amazon Merlin Building, Arlington, VA)

AICybersecurityZero Trust

The Investment Conundrum: Debating Capital Sources to Advance Education and Work

July 23, 2024Horizons Conference (Washington, DC)

FinTechEducationLabor

AI vs Augmented Intelligence

Feb 7, 2024Securing Tomorrow (Fairfax, VA)

AIAugmented IntelligenceCybersecurity

Is Generative AI a Threat to Cybersecurity?

Sep 13, 2023Is Generative AI a Threat to Cybersecurity? (Fairfax, VA)

AICybersecurity

Which Social Media Platform Would be the Best to Ban?

June 27, 2024NovaSci x Appian (Appian Office (McLean, VA))

Social MediaPolicyFree Speech

Should Students be Allowed to Use AI in their Coursework?

June 20, 2024NovaSci x Google (Google Office (Reston, VA))

AIEducationEthics

Who Should Own AI? Big Tech or the Government?

June 20, 2024NovaSci x Google (Google Office (Reston, VA))

AIPolicyBig Tech

Is Technology Making us More or Less Intelligent?

June 20, 2024NovaSci x Google (Google Office (Reston, VA))

AIHuman BehaviorCognition

Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Creative Professions: Positives vs Negatives

May 3, 2024NYU (New York, NY)

AICreativityLabor

Metaverse Hype or Web 3.0 Reality?

May 3, 2024NYU (New York, NY)

MetaverseWeb3Emerging Tech

Data Privacy vs National Security

April 9, 2024Pace University (New York, NY)

Data PrivacySecurityPolicy

AI: Job Creator or Job Destroyer

April 4, 2024University at Albany (Albany, NY)

AIJobsAutomation

Can You Remove the Human Bias Built into AI/ML?

June 20, 2019AI & Human Bias (Galvanize, New York, NY)

AIData PrivacyEthics

Should the U.S. Regulate Drone Technology?

May 25, 2019Regulating Drone Technology (National Gaylord, Washington, DC)

RoboticsData PrivacySecurityPolicy

Are We Ready to Embrace Autonomous Vehicles?

April 26, 2019NYU (NYU, New York, NY)

RoboticsAITransportation

Should GDPR be Implemented in the US?

April 26, 2019NYU (NYU, New York, NY)

Data PrivacyPolicyRegulation

Should the U.S. Government Adopt a National Cryptocurrency?

February 7, 2019National Cryptocurrency (WeWork, Washington, DC)

FinTechCryptoPolicy

Blockchain Governance Debate

December 6, 2018Private vs Public Blockchain (Teach for America, New York, NY)

FinTechCryptoData Privacy

DevOps: Automation Showdown

July 10, 2018Ansible vs Puppet (USPTO, Washington, DC)

DevOpsCloudEngineering

Is Social Media Helpful or Harmful to our Country?

May 9, 2018Social Media (New York, NY)

Social MediaPolicyData Privacy

Cloud: AWS vs Azure

November 16, 2017Cloud: AWS vs Azure (Washington, DC)

CloudDevOpsEngineering

Javascript: Angular vs React

December 7, 2016Javascript: Angular vs React (Washington, DC)

Web DevFrontendFrameworks

Mobile: Android vs iOS

May 27, 2015Mobile: Android vs iOS (Washington, DC)

Mobile DevOperating SystemsUX/UI

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