DeepMind and Oxford University researchers on how to 'decolonize' AI

Sometimes it's tempting to think of every technological advancement as the brave first step on new shores, a fresh chance to shape the future rationally. In reality, every new tool enters the same old world with its same unresolved issues. In a moment where society is collectively reckoning with just how deep the roots of racism reach, a new paper from researchers at DeepMind -- the AI lab and sister company to Google -- and the University of Oxford presents a vision to "decolonize" artificial intelligence. The aim is to keep society's ugly prejudices from being reproduced and amplified by today's powerful machine learning systems. The paper, published this month in the journal Philosophy & Technology, has at heart the idea that you have to understand historical context to understand why technology can be biased.