14 DAY TRIAL // Google is clearly a technology company, but its leaders believe they have a higher purpose as well. Google invests in a lot of ‘green’ technologies is now said to be interested in starting a ‘think tank’ on global policies in New York.
For this, Google has hired Jared Cohen, a Washington insider with links to both the political and the technology world. He is now said to be working on Google Ideas, a technology think tank to be revealed later this year, according to Fortune.
Cohen has served under two administrations as ‘technology consultant’ of sorts working to create policy on the web, social media and so on. He was hired as part of the US Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, under Condoleezza Rice.
He now serves under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is said to be aware of his move to Google. While he hasn’t left the administration yet, he is already laying down the initial plans for the think tank.
He has been acting as the State Department’s ‘Chief Twitterer’ and is said to be the one to have reached to Twitter to stay off updates which would results in downtime during the Iran protests last year.
That was the defining event which put Twitter on the map, as a global political tool. While its actual influence in Iran itself is debatable, the outside world relied on the microblogging site for news on the issue. On the whole, it solidified Twitter’s role and the importance of real-time communications.
Cohen’s role at Google isn’t exactly clear or the role of the Google Ideas project for that matter. In large, it will focus on ways technology can help developing countries and how the web can enrich the lives of those struggling with poverty. Neither Google nor Cohen would comment on the matter.