22 Responsible Tech Event highlights from 2022: Livestream Replays from MozFest, SXSW Live Studio, JustTech platform launch, & more:
Did you know that we’re curating a calendar of virtual and in-person Responsible Tech and Public Interest Technology events at All Tech Is Human?
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If you’ve missed out on any recent events and want to catch up, we’ve compiled some highlights where recordings are available:
Social Science Research Council: Just Tech platform launch with Ruha Benjamin, Timnit Gebru, Alondra Nelson, and Safiya U. Noble
“On March 1, the Social Science Research Council launched the Just Tech platform, a new website dedicated to mapping research and showcasing scholars and practitioners leading the field of social justice and emergent technology. The platform is a project of the Council's Just Tech program, which investigates questions of power, justice, and the public impact of new technologies while imagining and creating more just and equitable futures. To celebrate the Just Tech platform launch, the Just Tech program presents a live demo and Q&A session, as well as remarks from Ruha Benjamin, Timnit Gebru, Alondra Nelson, and Safiya U. Noble. The platform features an extensive set of resources that will be valuable to anyone interested in a synoptic view of this emergent field of research and practice: - field reviews about the state of research on discrete subjects at the intersection of novel technology and social justice, written and reviewed by experts - essays and interviews from leading researchers and practitioners - profiles of Just Tech’s network of researchers and practitioners, including fellows, grantees, and contributors to the platform - a free-to-use database of citations that leverages Zotero, an open-source citation library a regularly updated calendar of public events” https://just-tech.ssrc.org/
Data & Society Network Book Forum
“On Thursday, February 3rd, Dr. Catherine Knight Steele discussed her new book Digital Black Feminism at Data & Society’s Book Forum Series hosted by Policy Research Analyst, Serena Oduro.”
Institute for Ethics in AI: Ethics in AI Colloquium | We, The Robots? Regulating Artificial Intelligence and the Limits of the Law
“Should we regulate artificial intelligence? Can we? From self-driving cars and high-speed trading to algorithmic decision-making, the way we live, work, and play is increasingly dependent on AI systems that operate with diminishing human intervention. These fast, autonomous, and opaque machines offer great benefits — and pose significant risks. This book examines how our laws are dealing with AI, as well as what additional rules and institutions are needed — including the role that AI might play in regulating itself. Drawing on diverse technologies and examples from around the world, the book offers lessons on how to manage risk, draw red lines, and preserve the legitimacy of public authority. Though the prospect of AI pushing beyond the limits of the law may seem remote, these measures are useful now — and will be essential if it ever does.” https://www.oxford-aiethics.ox.ac.uk/event/ethics-ai-colloquium-we-robots-regulating-artificial-intelligence-and-limits-law-live-online
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (Santa Clara University): Virtual Reality, Real Virtues, and Augmented Norms and Laws
“A discussion of some of the novel ethical and legal issues associated with the widening adoption of VR and AR technology. In this presentation, philosopher Erick Ramirez and attorney Brittan Heller will discuss some of the novel ethical and legal issues associated with the widening adoption of VR and AR technology, and discuss new norms and laws that might develop in response to the ecosystem that some call the ‘metaverse.’” https://www.scu.edu/events/#!view/event/event_id/296417
Barnard College Computational Science Center (CSC): Dr. Talitha Washington on Empowering Data Science for Social Justice
“Data science impacts every facet of our lives: from marketing to finance to voting to facial recognition to medical care. What happens if data science develops technology that amplifies societal biases and blatant racism? Talitha Washington will share her vision on how the STEM community might unite to bring true validity into data science. Dr. Talitha Washington is the Director of the Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative and a Professor of Mathematics at Clark Atlanta University. As Director, she oversees and provides strategic direction of data science across Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College to increase the number of African Americans with expertise in data science. Washington is a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and the Association for Women in Mathematics.”
MKAI February 2022 Inclusive AI Forum: Cultural Representation in Artificial Intelligence
Forum Speakers and Contributors:
Joanna Bryson (Professor of Ethics and Technology and Co-Founder of the Hertie School Centre for Digital Governance)
Patricia Shaw (AI and Data Ethics Consultant, CEO and Founder at Beyond Reach Consulting Limited)
Chris McClean (Global Lead, Digital Ethics at Avanade)
Cansu Canca (Director and Founder at AI Ethics Lab; Research Associate Professor & Ethics Lead at Institute for Experiential AI | Northeastern University)
Animesh Jain (Research Manager at MKAI)
Mafunase Ngosa Malenga (Founder & Managing Director at Southern Africa Institute of Aviation, Science & Technology)
Timi Olagunju (Tech Lawyer and Policy Consultant), Vibhav Mithal (Managing Associate at ANAND AND ANAND)
Francis Haugen | SXSW 2022 Live Studio
“Take a deep dive into SXSW with our Live Studio Interviews, where conversations go beyond the boundaries of sessions, showcases and screenings. During her time at Facebook, Frances Haugen became increasingly alarmed by the choices the company makes prioritizing their own profits over public safety and putting people's lives at risk. As a last resort and at great personal risk, Frances made the courageous decision to blow the whistle on Facebook. Frances fundamentally believes that the problems we are facing today with social media are solvable. We can have social media that brings out the best in humanity.”
Just AI Deep Sustainability: Im/materialities - Structural tensions between AI and the environment
“On Thursday 24 February 2022, the JUST AI Deep Sustainability working group held a panel discussion about the possibilities and limitations of AI as a solution to the climate crisis. Speakers: Professor Jennifer Gabrys, author of Program Earth: Environmental Sensing Technology and the Making of a Computational Planet. Dr. Paola Ricaurte, co-founder of Tierra Común, a network of activists, citizens and scholars who work on interventions for data decolonization. Dr. Victor Galaz, author of Dark Machines, exploring the converging forces of a growing planetary crisis and technological change. The Panel was chaired by Dr. Alison Powell, Director of the JUST AI Network and author of Undoing Optimization: Civic Action in Smart Cities.”
Family Online Safety Institute: A Transatlantic Youth Dialogue on the Future of Digital Safety w/ Stephen Balkam and Dr. Sameer Hinduja
“As the digital world expands into new frontiers across virtual and augmented realities, the metaverse, and more, it is imperative that the safety of young people remains paramount. Coming together in online spaces is commonplace for today’s youth as they navigate complex social lives, academics, and growing up in an increasingly virtual world. On March 1st, we welcomed four youth speakers from across the US and EU for a transatlantic dialogue about the challenges and opportunities that technology brings to their lives. As part of their work on Microsoft’s Council for Digital Good US and Council for Digital Good Europe, panelists discussed how media literacy, digital citizenship, and personal safety impacts peers in their communities and around the globe. Our panelists included: - Aishwaryaa, 14, Council for Digital Good US - Anna, 14, Council for Digital Good US - Donagh, 16, Council for Digital Good Europe - Wu-Ji, 16, Council for Digital Good Europe Stephen Balkam of FOSI facilitated this conversation alongside Dr. Sameer Hinduja of the Cyberbullying Research Center. Youth participants explored important topics such as: - What excites and worries teens most about the future of connected life - Why media literacy and digital citizenship are increasingly important as the technology landscape continues to evolve - How young people handle both the positive and negative aspects of social media - Reflections on personal experiences and how that informs their work with peers The discussion was framed by recent findings from Microsoft’s newly released 2022 Digital Civility Index, FOSI’s recent study on young people’s use of online safety tools, and findings from the Cyberbullying Research Center’s 2021 report. Panelists examined the ways that teens are navigating these trends in real-life scenarios, and where they believe there should be more support and emphasis when it comes to ensuring safe and positive experiences online.”
BEACON Fireside Chat: Government Use of Facial Recognition Technology
“In this episode, Joe Toscano, CEO of BEACON introduces the topic: Government Use of Facial Recognition Technology. Joe references the recent news about the IRS' use of ID.me and its facial recognition software to verify individuals accessing their accounts. Recent news about IRS contemplation and eventual abandonment of the mandate for US citizens to access their accounts through facial recognition technology is just the "tip of the iceberg", according to Slate: "All it took was public outrage, a widespread campaign, and political condemnation for the IRS to reverse its plans to require facial recognition for access to certain online services. In abandoning its intention to require tax-payers to upload images of their government-issued IDs and video selfies to controversial third-party company ID.me, the IRS has acknowledged that Americans shouldn’t have to sacrifice their privacy for security." While digital IDs will be part of our future, the use of facial recognition technology is still wrought with accuracy problems, privacy risks and poses access and bias risks to more vulnerable populations. Where does this leave us and what does this mean as awareness of the impending harms with facial recognition heighten?”
🎉 12 MozFest highlights 🎉
AI Reckoning: A Dialogues & Debates Panel w/ FACILITATORS Chenai Chair (Mozilla Foundation), Adam Bly (System), Anasuya Sengupta (Whose Knowledge?), Sasha Costanza-Chock (Algorithmic Justice League), Roxann Stafford
“How do we refocus and realign AI as a mechanism for systems thinking and manifestation – revealing the correlation and connectedness of all things. Can AI ever be the people’s tool? Can AI hold the intelligence of abolition or are these machines beholden to learning from/within existing systematic structures? How can we invest in communities who are ensuring that the global majority thrives, that earth thrives? Is it time for an AI reckoning?” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/HS3GCX-1
Getting a grip on disinformation w/ Mieke van Heesewijk, Merel Borger, Stijn Peeters, Erik van Zummeren
“With the call 'Getting a grip on desinformation' SIDN Fund invited proposals for projects involving the development of tools and instruments for getting a grip on disinformation (deliberately misleading information distributed with a view to manipulating public opinion). The coronavirus doesn't exist, 9/11 never happened, and Bill Gates wants to control all of us through a 5G cell tower. Disinformation, and especially its online scalability, may pose a threat to our open, democratic society. The concern is that the deliberate dissemination of misleading information feeds widespread mistrust: of the media, government and among citizens. The rise of disinformation is a potential threat in relation to a well-informed society, democratic processes, polarisation and healthy public debate. It's important that we get a better grip on disinformation. We therefore called for proposals involving the development of tools and instruments that can help in that regard – by, for example, shedding light on questions such as: How does the technology that amplifies opinions on platforms work? Who is engaged in the production, dissemination and amplification of disinformation? How do the algorithms used by the various platforms work, and who controls them? What motivates certain groups of people to disseminate disinformation and how do they go about it? What tools can internet users and journalists employ to improve their grip on the disinformation phenomenon? In this session we will showcase a couple of funded projects and would like to discuss what else is needed to tackle this wicked problem.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/RA7V89-1
Building Ancestral AI: A Dialogues & Debates Panel w/ J. Bob Alotta (Mozilla Foundation), Toshi Reagon, L. Franklin Gilliam (Out in Tech), Amelia Winger-Bearskin, Céline Semaan (Slow Factory)
“If we lay down the burden of a future-only presumption of what technology is and can be, are we more likely to center people and the environment and develop technologies through which we can survive and thrive? How do we develop strategies for the futures we desire and/or will likely face? In this panel we invite artists, activists, movement strategists, and scientists who are deeply rooted in cultural traditions and ancestral technologies while creating robust present and future tenses.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/VBQ8ZN-1
Building Healthy Online Communities - the Creators' Challenge w/ Max Joseph (Filmmaker), Ari Melenciano (Afrotechtopia), Ayman Hariri (VERO CEO), Joanne Molinaro (The Korean Vegan)
“In this panel we will be discussing the important role Creators play in building healthy online communities, the challenges they face in doing so, and how they can work together with developers, platforms and community designers to shape healthier online spaces with more focus on - and support for - community building.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/ZETHB7-1
Venture Capital, Digital Rights, and the Future of Responsible Tech Investing: A Dialogues & Debates Panel w/ Shu Dar Yao (Lucid Capitalism), Michael Kleinman (Amnesty International USA), Jon Zieger (Responsible Innovation Labs)
“How can technology founders, civil society and policy makers engage traditional VC investors to actively foster a responsible and intersectional tech ecosystem that disrupts for good, and seeks to build rather than break? Is it fair to say that traditional VC is fundamentally at odds with a vision of tech that is healthier for all? Decisions made by major US-based VC funds have ripple effects felt around the world, not only because they invest across global markets, but also because many entrepreneurs worldwide seek to replicate the models US VC investors drive to scale. Ownership and promotion of responsible tech among the most influential VCs has the potential to change the entire future tech landscape for the better. This solutions-oriented session seeks to foster collaborative discussion among advocates working towards public good and tech executives that sometimes straddle the divide between doing what is right for their broader community of stakeholders and doing what will maximize returns for their VC investors.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/WQ9KEC-1
Afrofeminist Digital Futures: African Women Unite for a Safe Internet w/ Irene Mwendwa (Pollicy), Navina Mutabazi
“The Maputo Protocol is celebrated as the most progressive legal framework in addressing the rights of women and girls in Africa. Women have been doing remarkable work offline towards calling for the ratification and full implementation of the Protocol. There remains a huge gap in translating the same effort towards online and ICT governance. Increasingly we are seeing states developing and putting in place frameworks and oversight bodies without a full comprehension of the kind of support needed for African women and girls. Specifically, in many countries the processes to seek justice involves a rigorous process that leaves women either fatigued or discouraged to address the issue in the first place. Are governments open to providing online complaints and reporting mechanisms? What can be done now? We have identified a challenge coming across the women’s rights discourse as a missed opportunity to advocate for a safe internet. The first step is we need to be involved in the internet governance of our countries and communities so that we can ensure public participation into internet laws that are governed by existing progressive laws such as the Maputo Protocol. We are envisioning a discussion on our feminist research reports, then open the floor to a conversation on how to engage women's rights and grassroots movement, especially learning from the work that many fantastic organisations have already been involved, thinking here particularly of notable organisations and women rights advocates, and seeing what we can apply to our contexts.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/TVKEDJ-1
Mozilla Plenary: metaverse or Metaverse™? w/ J. Bob Alotta (Mozilla Foundation), Imo Udom (Mozilla Corporation), Rebecca Ryakitimbo (Mozilla Foundation), Apryl Williams (Mozilla)
“As the internet evolves, what will it look like — and who will it benefit? Will it be a Metaverse™, owned and built by only a few and perpetuating the ills of today’s internet? Will it be a metaverse, built and governed collectively? Or, is the premise of a metaverse inherently flawed — a shiny trope that distracts us from confronting the colonial, extractive nature that pervades so many of our digital technologies?” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/GYUL9J-1
Afro Algorithms:
“You're invited to the world premiere of "Afro Algorithms". This 3D animated short film in the Afrofuturist genre explores the topics of AI and bias. In a distant future, an artificial intelligence named Aero is inaugurated as the world’s first AI ruler. But Aero soon learns that important worldviews are missing from her databank, including the experiences of the historically marginalized and oppressed. A slate of well-known Black artists lend their voices to the film, including Robin Quivers, Hoji Fortuna, and Ava Raiin.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/EYNH7Q-1
AI Reform: A Dialogues & Debates Panel w/ Solana Larsen, Mohamad Najem (SMEX), Dr. Samantha Bradshwa (Center for Democracy), Odanga Madung
“In 2022, elections are planned in Lebanon, Kenya, Brazil, Philippines, France, US and beyond. What has become of elections and democracy in the age of digital platforms? Are we entering a new era of governance that will be shaped by the way platforms drive and impact campaigns, movement building, national narratives and political discourse? Will democracy survive AI?” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/3BXVCJ-1
The Future is Intersectional Conversation: Future of Media & Technology w/ Cheryl Finely (Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective, Spelman College), Kamal Sinclair (Guild of Future Architects)
“Join a conversation between Cheryl Finley and Kamal Sinclair about the future of media and technology and who holds the power to shift the cultural landscape. The conversation is a continuation of The Future is Intersectional series in partnership with Spelman College.” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/ULM7BC-1
Education in a Mixed AI Reality: A Dialogues & Debates Panel w/ Crystal Lee (Mozilla Foundation), Judith Okonkwo (Imisi 3D), Maize Longboat (Unity Technologies), Angela Chen (Eskwelabs)
“Upcoming generations are growing up in a mixed reality where they develop a powerful command on internet platforms. Tik Tok is a great manifestation of the nuances of existence through short, catchy, layered video content. Gaming is another space where the rules of the real world are interwoven by those of the game. What is then the role of education in this cross-existence: how do these interactions shape young folks in their interactions and interrogations of technology?” https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/session/YQL9CZ-1
MozFest Science Fair 2022
“This year, the MozFest Science Fair theme is inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower - An Opera. This marks the beginning of a two year collaboration with composer and librettist, Toshi Reagon. Drawing from the core thematic focus, and narrative direction of this powerful book, we will translate and emulate these themes through projects, people and programs from across the internet health movement. The event will be held in Mozilla Hubs in order to build an experimental virtual and interactive imagining of the Parable narrative and world. We will demo projects that align with the story, and present manifestations of the themes: sustainability, decolonization, planting seeds, and emergence.”
