LFI Course Materials/Week 17: Algorithms as ideology
Contents
Week 17: Algorithms as ideology
- Real time lecture: August 16th 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern
Overview
ALGORITHMS AS IDEOLOGY: FIGHTING FASCISM IN MACHINE LEARNING & AUTOMATION
Algorithms shape our world more than ever. But whose world are they creating?
By understanding algorithms as a form of computationally-imposed ideology, we begin to see how machine learning systems often reinforce pre-existing oppressive structures. White colonialism, gender binary, prisons and mass-incarceration are just a few examples of ideologically-guided systems which become further entrenched with the use of automation and artificial intelligence. In this talk, we will look at several case studies demonstrating how these technologies enforce oppressive ideologies and the structural violence they inflict on marginalized communities. We will discuss how these ideological systems can be meaningfully opposed, as well as how we might counteract them using our own visions of a more just and equitable future.
Janus Rose is a New York City-based writer and educator who studies technology’s impacts on privacy and human rights. Her work has been featured in DAZED Magazine, The New Yorker, VICE, and other print and online publications
Readings
No readings this week!
Guest lecturer
Dr. Chris Gilliard, Professor of English at Macomb Community College, hypervisible.com
Discussion
- What is the relationship between digital redlining and privacy?
Tasks
- Discussion forum, small group work, and roadmap completion on wiki
