Meredith Broussard, an AI expert and professor at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, is a leading voice in the conversation about artificial intelligence (AI). In her latest book, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, she argues that AI can be used to perpetuate racism, sexism and ableism if we don’t take steps to address these systemic issues.
Broussard believes that technology companies have a responsibility to ensure their products are not perpetuating discrimination or bias. She says it’s important for tech companies to recognize how their products may be contributing to existing social problems such as racism and sexism. “We need more transparency from tech companies about what data they’re using in their algorithms,” she said in an interview with The Guardian. “We also need better oversight of how those algorithms are being used.”
In addition to advocating for greater transparency from tech companies, Broussard has called on governments around the world to create regulations that protect people from algorithmic bias and discrimination. She believes this could help prevent future abuses of power by corporations who use AI-driven technologies without proper oversight or accountability measures in place.
Broussard also emphasizes the importance of educating people about how AI works so they can make informed decisions when interacting with technology products or services powered by machine learning algorithms. “People should understand what kind of data is being collected by these systems,” she said during her interview with The Guardian. “They should know whether it’s biased against certain groups or individuals.”
Ultimately, Broussard believes that addressing systemic issues like racism and sexism requires us all—individuals as well as organizations—to work together towards solutions that benefit everyone equally regardless of race, gender identity or ability level. As she puts it: “It takes all kinds of voices coming together across different disciplines — computer science researchers working alongside sociologists — to really tackle these big challenges.”
|AI Expert Meredith Broussard: ‘Racism, Sexism & Ableism Are Systemic Problems’|Discrimination|The Guardian
