Data, Tech & Black Communities

This jobs Friday, we look to the tech sector, where companies are laying off thousands of workers in a rapid reversal of their pandemic-era hiring boom. What effects could tech layoffs have on the broader economy?For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

This essay offers seven intersectional feminist principles for equitable and actionable COVID-19 data, drawing from the authors' prior work on data feminism. Our book, Data Feminism (D'Ignazio and Klein, 2020), offers seven principles which suggest possible points of entry for challenging and changing power imbalances in data science. In this essay, we offer seven sets of examples, one inspired by each of our principles, for both identifying existing power imbalances with respect to the impact of the novel coronavirus and its response, and for beginning the work of change.

Inside the protests taking place at the online giant which is accused of exploiting workers and awarding derisory pay offers

Although data systems are rapidly rolled out in the public sector and state-citizen relations become increasingly automated, there is little public knowledge about these developments, with few possibilities to intervene into, and participate in, decisions about the use of data systems. How, then, do we advance people’s voice in the deployment of data and AI? How do we democratise datafied governance?

The AI-powered online doctor app is ditching its controversial NHS contracts as it focuses on the US market.

Surfacing Systemic (In)justices: A Community View shares findings from an extensive Europe- wide consultation undertaken by Systemic Justice that seeks to learn from the perspectives and experiences of affected community groups and organisations, in order to inform potential litigation and other strategies for change.

The Dutch tax authority ruined thousands of lives after using an algorithm to spot suspected benefits fraud — and critics say there is little stopping it from happening again.

Sahdya Darr on Twitter. As many folks leave Twitter for Mastodon, I want to draw attention to thoughts being shared and discussions taking place about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter beyond white, left leaning accounts👇🏼— Sahdya Darr (@sahdyadarr) November 9, 2022

At EdTech Hub, we’ve been reflecting on how coloniality is embedded in the work we do: from the colonial roots of the international development sector, to colonial practices embedded in research methods, to “core-to-periphery” design and deployment of EdTech interventions. We’ve just begun this journey, but in trying to embody one of our EdTech Hub values of ‘fearless and humble…

Since April, DALL-E has triggered an explosion of images generated using artificial intelligence. But the technology is spreading faster than creators can shape norms around its use.

I’m thrilled to share this new creative & educational video, “Toxic Clouds and Dirty Data” on the environmental impacts of data centers made in collaboration with the talented @adamcooperteran w/ support from @KleinmanEnergy and @internetsociety https://t.co/vLuesFXHwS— Lauren Bridges (@Laurenebridges) October 12, 2022

Energy policy research from the University of Pennsylvania. A project from Kleinman Center grantee Lauren Bridges, made in collaboration with artist and media-maker Adam Cooper–Terán, explores why we need to rethink the energy, water, and waste-intensive model of cloud computing.

Nature - An audit of commercial facial-analysis tools found that dark-skinned faces are misclassified at a much higher rate than are faces from any other group. Four years on, the study is shaping research, regulation and commercial practices.

In light of fast-growing popular, political and professional discourses around AI in education, this article outlines five broad areas of contention that merit closer attention in future discussion and decision-making. These include: (1) taking care to focus on issues relating to 'actually existing' AI rather than the overselling of speculative AI technologies; (2) clearly foregrounding the limitations of AI in terms of modelling social contexts, and simulating human intelligence, reckoning, autonomy and emotions; (3) foregrounding the social harms associated with AI use; (4) acknowledging the value-driven nature of claims around AI; and (5) paying closer attention to the environmental and ecological sustainability of continued AI development and implementation. Thus, in contrast to popular notions of AI as a neutral tool, the argument is made for engaging with the ongoing use of AI in education as a political action that has varying impacts on different groups of people in various educational contexts.

Here are 18 books written by scholars and technology experts that cut through all the hype and will forever change the way you think about…

Today, technical experts hold the tools to conduct system-scale algorithm audits, so they largely decide what algorithmic harms are surfaced. Our #cscw2022 paper asks: how could *everyday users* explore where a system disagrees with their perspectives?

In this report, researchers develop “minimum ethical and legal standards” for the governance of facial recognition technology and test them on three British police deployments – with all three failing.

A BIG PROBLEM with the fediverse is that there’s no mechanism for call and response — quote tweeting — and this is purposeful. This is going to be an issue with trying to port Black Twitter, which is prob one reason @shengokai says BT is non-fungible. https://t.co/dNx3NFHssc— Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (@IBJIYONGI) November 7, 2022

This post looks at how ethnicity data collection has changed, the challenges the government has faced over the years, and the importance of collecting ethnicity data in a consistent way.

The Ethical Explorer Pack is your go-to tool for building tech that values fundamental human rights, empowers users, and creates healthy online experiences.

Artificially intelligent analysis of job applications or videos is "pseudoscience", researchers say.

Experts talk about the rise of TikTok, the power of social media, and why we should be cautious about artificial intelligence.

Comprehensive review of digital poverty in the UK

Warnings vulnerable people in danger of being ‘unfairly penalised’ by AI system

🚨NEWS: after the Met spent massive resources in central London on Saturday using live facial recognition cameras all day, scanning *36,420* people’s faces, guess what the outcome was?0 correct matches1 wrong match, requiring a member of the public to prove their innocence 🥴 https://t.co/gKDtT0Jjp5— Silkie Carlo (@silkiecarlo) July 18, 2022

In buying iRobot, the e-commerce titan gets a data collection machine that comes with a vacuum.

A partnership with the Health Foundation to study the relationships between data-driven systems and inequalities in health

In the first study to examine this issue among COVID-19 patients, researchers found that the inaccurate measurements resulted in a “systemic failure,” delaying care for many Black and Hispanic patients. The study adds a growing sense of urgency to an issue raised decades ago.

Meta—the company formerly known as Facebook—is running a new TV ad showing a future in which college students slip on a lightweight VR headset to enter ...