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The New Jim Code? Race and Discriminatory Design

Posted on 06/11/2024

Woman standing next to book titled Race After Technology

This article is part of the guide: For Education, ChatGPT Holds Promise — and Creates Problems. External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

This podcast/article can be heard or read using this full article link External Link Icon opens in new window or tab. Ruha Benjamin, associate professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and author of the book, Race After Technology discusses exploring the “role of technology in education.” She refers to “discriminatory design and her concept of The New Jim Code in reference to the highly racist Jim Crow era.

Simply put, the “New Jim Code, which is really a specific manifestation of discriminatory design in which racist values and assumptions are built into our technical systems.” Technology and data are built by humans who have biases.

For more from Dr. Benjamin, listen to the podcast External Link Icon opens in new window or tab.

Resources:

Foundational Policies for AI in Education External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

The Three Es for Your AI Learning Strategy: Equity, Ethics, and Educators External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

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