Laura Scherling

Laura Scherling is a professor and lecturer at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs Tech Policy and Innovation (TPI) Concentration. Here, she works specifically with Tech Policy and Innovation, where her director is the author and journalist Anya Schriffin and with colleagues such as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa. At Columbia, Laura teaches “Ethics in Technology” and “Understanding Emerging Technologies” courses which cover AI, cybersecurity, quantum, defense, and space. Recently, she has won the “Top Five” instructor award across the entire school.
To date, Laura's articles have been published by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, Design Observer, The Urban Activist, Design and Culture, Spark Journal, and Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture. Additionally, she has contributed chapters and articles in the edited collection Futures Worth Preserving Cultural Constructions of Nostalgia and Sustainability (Transcript Verlag) and the Encyclopedia of Design (Bloomsbury).

THE FUTURE OF HACKING (Science & Technology, Published: Rowman & Littlefield-Bloomsbury)

Hacking is often associated with cybercriminals lurking in the shadows, stealing data, and disrupting digital systems. But the reality of hacking is far more complex-and far more relevant to our everyday lives than most people realize. The Future of Hacking explores the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and digital defense, revealing how hacking has transformed from an underground practice to a mainstream issue that affects governments, businesses, and individuals alike.

Drawing on years of research and over 30 in-depth interviews with cybersecurity professionals from around the world, including experts from San Francisco, Seoul, Cape Town, Paris, and Bengaluru, this book offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the people working to protect our digital future. From ethical hackers uncovering security vulnerabilities to policymakers shaping the rules of the digital world, The Future of Hacking sheds light on the critical role of cybersecurity in today's interconnected society.

Rights Sold: World English
Rights Available: Translation

MY ROBOT FRIENDS AND I (Science & Technology, Forthcoming: Rowman & Littlefield-Bloomsbury)

A narrative-driven, easily accessible book, MY ROBOT FRIENDS & I brings a fresh and positive take to AI. More concerned with real-life human experiences, MY ROBOT FRIENDS sheds a light on this complex, quickly developing technology without turning into an overly technical specialty book or a "how-to" guide. Instead, it profiles interesting and well-known inventors who have made important contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and cybernetics. Many of these interviews are conducted around themes of trust, safety, and policy challenges around AI. The interviewees themselves are highly regarded in the fields, who talk about AI with profound honesty. JiHee Kim, the CEO of Hyodol, for instance, admits in his chapter that relying on care bots is incredibly depressing, as opposed to having enough money to have a human caretaker. Yet this does not change that Hyodol is necessary as many Hyodol recipients are low-income and living alone.

Rights Sold: World English
Rights Available: Translation
Agent: Zeynep Sen