Big Data and AI: Global Histories, Ethics, and Justice

Undergraduate / Graduate

Algorithms, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence have become deeply ingrained in our daily lives, shaping how we interact with the world-from ChatGPT to Spotify's Smart Shuffle. These computational, statistical, and data-driven technologies have enabled remarkable breakthroughs in science and medicine and have fueled visions of an optimized, data-driven future. But alongside these advances come significant challenges. These technologies often reflect and amplify societal biases embedded in the vast datasets they are trained on, resulting in phenomena such as algorithmic bias, cognitive bias, exclusion bias, and sample bias. Moreover, are these technologies truly revolutionary? If they are built upon historical systems of thought and prejudice, how "new" are the modes of computation and data science they claim to represent? This course critically examines our current algorithmic and AI moment through the lenses of history, ethics, and justice. We will explore the global historical roots of data technologies, their ethical implications, and their impact on equity and social justice. No prior knowledge of AI, big data, or history is required. The class is discussion-based, and students are encouraged to share their own experiences with data technologies to enrich our conversations.