"Atlas of AI: Mapping the Social and Economic Forces Behind AI"

Dr. Kate Crawford is launching the annual National Library of Medicine Lecture on Science, Technology, and Society Series, which seeks to raise awareness of and spark conversations about the intersection of societal and ethical considerations regarding the conduct of biomedical research and the use of advanced technologies.

Machine learning systems are already playing a significant role in many social institutions, including healthcare, education, hiring, and criminal justice. Despite the patina of objectivity and neutrality, many scholars have shown how these systems can reproduce and intensify forms of structural bias and discrimination. In her talk, Dr. Crawford shares insights from her new book, Atlas of AI, to show the historical origins, labor practices, infrastructures, and epistemological assumptions that underlie the production of artificial intelligence. The classificatory logics and predictive approaches raise challenges that extend well beyond the current bias debate. Dr. Crawford offers new paths for thinking through the research ethics and policy implications associated with machine learning.