Black Life In the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Black Life in the Age of AI

Introduction:

This syllabus aims to bring learners of many backgrounds together to explore content related to Black Life and AI. The term Black Life refers to the varied experiences of Black folks including in terms of identity and experience. Thus we explore race, gender, sexuality, and ability alongside topics such as the internet, surveillance, and education. The syllabus can be used linearly, with a set of information explored per week, or at your own leisure. Over the course of engagement, learners will be exposed to a wide variety of topics that push you to 1) grapple with the ethics of technology , 2)  communicate the implications of technology in multiple contexts and create visual media. Learners should leave the site with both tools for conversation with the public, and having had opportunities to reflect on the role of technology in their own lives.


Below you will find sections organized by topic with links to varying resources such as articles, reports, books, podcasts, and videos.

What Is AI?:

According to dictionary.com Artificial Intelligence (AI) is “the branch of computer science involved with the design of computers or other programmed mechanical devices having the capacity to imitate human intelligence and thought.” However, ever in question has been which people are deserving of being called human, and relatedly whose intelligence matters to be reproduced. In this section of the syllabus are pieces that are helpful introductions to AI.

 

Because of the Internet:

While the internet is a useful tool for accessing information, it is also a space where disinformation and harmful ideas about people are perpetuated. Social media, search engines, and advertisements are all connected and influenced by our data. At times the human contribution to the way the internet runs however is minimized. Many platforms use data and the social capital of Black people to promote themselves while perpetuating harm through lack of content moderation and algorithmic suppression. This section focuses on relationships between the internet and Black people including data training for AI Art and discriminatory algorithms. 

Race as Technology:

Technology does not just refer to electronic devices, but to fire, pencils, and even the concept of race. Race functions in our society to categorize, subject, and uplift certain groups of people. This section offers an introduction to race as a technology and relationships between technology and race.

Algorithms and Race:

Referring back to questions of the human, this section explores algorithms and how they reinforce racism. Artificial Intelligence is built off of algorithms which are fed large data sets. These data sets and therefore algorithms include sets of values. They reinforce ideas about who or what is valuable, who is deserving of what, and what people need to see. This section explores race and algorithms across a variety of topics including healthcare, bias, and search engines.


Aims of Technology Education:

We aren’t just users of technology, but people who learn and shape technology. In this section, education is brought into focus in order to highlight how we learn about AI matters for the ways we build technology. This is oriented from concepts such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Computer Science Education, and AI Education most specifically.

 

Aims of Technology Education:

We aren’t just users of technology, but people who learn and shape technology. In this section, education is brought into focus in order to highlight how we learn about AI matters for the ways we build technology. This is oriented from concepts such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Computer Science Education, and AI Education most specifically.

 

Surveillance and Policing

AI has been used for many things, and one of its largest applications is the surveillance of communities. Surveillance in the US is tied to histories of slavery, and trying to track who the government decided was “free.” Our modern technological systems are built on this history. AI systems are not without error and have led to the false arrest of Black people. This section discusses surveillance and policing in relation to technology.


(dis)ability and Technology

This section considers how AI is being used to shape medicine and disability rights. Automating these systems has led to the perpetuation of race-based medicine and biases within healthcare. In developing AI systems, how are people with disabilities needs being considered? With the current mass disabling pandemic of Covid-19 there is an increase in people seeking healthcare for long Covid related problems. In our considerations of AI challenges we must consider how (dis)ability and Technology are related.



Labor

Artificial Intelligence systems do not operate on their own. There are not only the people who create the code for them, but the people who manage data sets and information that populates them. This labor is often hidden and being outsourced for minimal pay across many contexts including countries such as India and Kenya as well as prisons. The articles in this section offer insights on hidden labor and exploitation within AI work.



Gender and Sexuality

Similar to challenges with AI in healthcare, AI datasets and programming contribute to biases based on gender and sexuality. Many systems only use binary gender descriptions of “male” and “female” which is not gender inclusive and leads to misgendering of many people. Further, these systems have trouble distinguishing binary gender for darker skin tones. For example, darker skin women are misgendered as men. With this in mind, what is worth considering is whether we want these automated systems to try detecting gender or sexuality in the first place and the potential biases and harms that come as a result of that.



The Environment

Artificial Intelligence does not just affect the digital environment, but contributes to changes in our physical environment. There is a need to consider climate justice in how we develop and use these systems. This section considers the effects of AI on the environment such as large cooling centers for computing.