social empowerment
Why Algorithms Remain Unjust: Power Structures Surrounding Algorithmic Activity
Algorithms play an increasingly-significant role in our social lives. Unfortunately, they often perpetuate social injustices while doing so. The popular means of addressing these algorithmic injustices has been through algorithmic reformism: fine-tuning the algorithm itself to be more fair, accountable, and transparent. While commendable, the emerging discipline of critical algorithm studies shows that reformist approaches have failed to curtail algorithmic injustice because they ignore the power structure surrounding algorithms. Heeding calls from critical algorithm studies to analyze this power structure, I employ a framework developed by Erik Olin Wright to examine the configuration of power surrounding Algorithmic Activity: the ways in which algorithms are researched, developed, trained, and deployed within society. I argue that the reason Algorithmic Activity is unequal, undemocratic, and unsustainable is that the power structure shaping it is one of economic empowerment rather than social empowerment. For Algorithmic Activity to be socially just, we need to transform this power configuration to empower the people at the other end of an algorithm. To this end, I explore Wright's symbiotic, interstitial, and raptural transformations in the context of Algorithmic Activity, as well as how they may be applied in a hypothetical research project that uses algorithms to address a social issue. I conclude with my vision for socially just Algorithmic Activity, asking that future work strives to integrate the proposed transformations and develop new mechanisms for social empowerment.
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RAISE 2020: Responsible artificial intelligence for social empowerment
The success of Digital India has set a new global benchmark for leveraging digital technologies for inclusive growth, good governance, and empowerment of common citizens. The benefits of digital technologies that were a luxury of affluent classes a few years ago have now become easily accessible to masses. Rapidly changing technology requires continuous evolution of systems, faster and adequate regulatory responses, and building capacities to meet emerging challenges. The advent of artificial intelligence is not merely an incremental change, but a major paradigm shift in the technology landscape, which must be viewed holistically and harnessed for the wellbeing of humanity. Data is the basic building block for any artificial intelligence system.
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RAISE 2020 - Responsible AI for Social Empowerment
In the history of human civilization, Artificial Intelligence is considered to be the next giant technological leap similar to electricity and the internet. With AI possessing the power to radically transform the economic and social fabric of the world we live in, it's time to ask, how can we use AI responsibly for the good of humanity and for inclusive socio-economic development? The Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE 2020) virtual summit will be a Global Artificial Intelligence summit to be organized by the Government of India in partnership with Industry & Academia. It will be inaugurated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 5, 2020 at 7 PM. The summit would be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and charter a course to use AI for social empowerment, inclusion, and transformation in key areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility amongst other sectors.