Ruha Benjamin
Professor of African American Studies at Princeton; author of Race After Technology
Ruha Benjamin studies how technology encodes existing racial hierarchies. Her 2019 book Race After Technology named the "New Jim Code" — the way apparently neutral automated systems reproduce discrimination while appearing objective. She founded the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton.
Key arguments & positions
- Argues discriminatory outcomes are a design outcome, not a glitch: she calls the pattern the "New Jim Code" — systems that look neutral while reproducing existing hierarchy.
- Holds that technical fixes to bias are insufficient without changing who sets the goals and who is in the room.
- Argues imagination is a contested resource: whose future gets built is decided long before the model is trained.
Accomplishments
- Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University.
- Founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab.
- Author of Race After Technology (2019), Viral Justice (2022) and Imagination: A Manifesto (2024).
Papers & key writings
Links
In the library
Nothing of theirs is filed in the hub yet. Browse the full library.
Recommended next
Hand-picked from the hub based on what Ruha Benjamin covers.
Algorithmic Justice League (AJL)
This organization researches and exposes bias and discrimination in artificial intelligence systems, including automated hiring tools. You can explore educational materials, learn about the social impacts of technology, and report unfair automated practices.
Why this: Covers algorithmic bias and AI ethics too
Tech Policy Press — Technology and Democracy
This nonprofit publication provides news, opinion, and analysis on how technology impacts government and democracy. You can read articles and listen to podcasts to stay informed on tech laws, platform regulations, and artificial intelligence ethics.
Why this: Also about AI ethics
Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp — for students
A free twenty-hour introduction to artificial intelligence for high school students, no coding experience required, taught through hands-on projects in areas students already care about.
Why this: Also about AI ethics
GatherVerse Women's AI Summit 2026
The GatherVerse Women's AI Summit 2026 is a free virtual global gathering of women building the future of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, running September 15-17 and September 22-23, 2026, starting 8:00 AM PT each day. Sessions span technology, healthcare, education, business and community work, with a humanity-first focus on experiences, opportunities and what comes next at the intersection of AI and people.
Why this: Also about AI ethics