Tech Ethicists & Critics
Atlas of AI
Kate Crawford · 2021 · Yale University Press
Traces the physical and human costs behind AI systems — mineral extraction, labor, data — that are left out of most discussions of the technology.
Cover image: Open Library.
Summary
“What happens when artificial intelligence saturates political life and depletes the planet? How is AI shaping our understanding of ourselves and our societies?”
This book investigates the hidden costs and implications of artificial intelligence. It argues that AI operates as a technology of extraction, relying on natural resources, low-wage labor, and data collection. The author suggests that this extensive network contributes to undemocratic governance and increased inequity. The work offers a material and political analysis of AI's development and its role in centralizing power, rather than focusing solely on code and algorithms.
Summary based on the publisher's page ↗
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About the author
Kate Crawford
Kate Crawford is an academic who studies the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. She holds positions as a research professor at USC Annenberg School, a senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research, and the inaugural chair of AI and Justice at the École Normale Supérieure.
Source: Publisher page ↗
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