Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data can reinforce and exacerbate racial inequality and injustice in society, from access to financial and social services to housing, hiring, and policing in the United States and the Western world. At the same time, low-and-middle income countries in the Global South/Majority World are trying to use AI and data as tools of empowerment, to address long-standing social and economic challenges and historical injustices of colonization in local communities. AI for development (AI4D) initiatives in Africa are looking at ways to use machine learning and Indigenous language models to improve access to healthcare and education. Taking a global perspective into the relationships between race, colonialism, technology, and public policy, this course provides students with the skills to:
- Understand the ethical, social, political, and economic implications of the development of emerging technologies.
- Use an interdisciplinary approach to analyze how society shapes emerging technologies.
- Envision more equitable digital technologies and technology policies, operationalizing decolonial and epistemic justice approaches.
- Present and discuss contemporary policy issues related to AI, data, and other emerging technologies.
- Conduct research and write policy briefs and reports about emerging issues in technology and technology policy.
For more information about the course, contact Professor Yousif
Hassan at [email protected]
