ON THE POLITICS OF AI: Fighting Injustice & Automatic Supremacism #DNL16 AI Traps
Channel: Disruption Network Lab
Date: 2019-07-05

ON THE POLITICS OF AI: Fighting Injustice & Automatic Supremacism

Dia Kayyali (Leader of the Tech & Advocacy program at WITNESS, SY/US/DE), Os Keyes (Ada Lovelace Fellow, Human-Centred Design & Engineering, University of Washington, US), Dan McQuillan (Lecturer in Creative & Social Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK).
Moderated by Tatiana Bazzichelli (Founding Director, Disruption Network Lab, IT/DE). 

This panel focuses on the political aspects of AI and reflects on the unresolved injustices of our current system. What do we need to take into consideration when calling for a just AI? Do we need to implement changes in how we design AI, or shall we rather adopt a larger perspective and reflect on how human society is structured? According to Dan McQuillan, AI is political. Not only because of the question of what is to be done with it, but because of the political tendencies of the technology itself. Dia Kayyali will present ways in which AI is facilitating white supremacy, nationalism, racism and transphobia. They will focus on the ways in which AI is being developed and how it is being deployed, in particular for policing and content moderation - two seemingly disparate but politically linked applications. Conversations around AI bias tend to discuss differences in outcome between demographic categories, within notions of race, gender, sexuality, disability or class. Rather than treat these attributes as universal and unquestioned, opening up space for cultural imperialism and presumption in how we "fix" bias, Os Keyes will reflect on how contextually shape these issues. They will discuss how not to fall into the trap of universalise such concepts, arguing that a truly "just" or "equitable" AI must not just be "bias-free" - it must also be local, contextual and meaningfully shaped and controlled by those subject to it. Finally, focusing on machine learning and artificial neural networks, also known as deep learning, Dan McQuillan will reflect on how developing an antifascist AI, influencing our understanding of what is both possible and desirable, and what ought to be.

Disruption Network Lab
An ongoing platform of events and research on art, hacktivism and disruption in Berlin. 

Berlin, June 14-15, 2019 
AI TRAPS: Automating Discrimination 

16th Event of the Disruption Network Lab, Kunstquartier Bethanien Berlin, Studio 1. 

Web: https://www.disruptionlab.org/ai-traps 
Twitter: @disruptberlin 
Facebook: /disruptionlab 

Artistic Director and Curator: Tatiana Bazzichelli 
Community Director: Lieke Ploeger 
Programme Managers: Daniela Silvestrin, Nada Bakr, Monti Harmony 

Credits: 
Disruption Network Lab Berlin - www.disruptionlab.org 
Video by Rofsofilms - www.rofsofilms.com 
Graphic: Jonas Frankki CC 
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International 

15 June, 2019
18:30-20:30