Bias, Belonging, and Power in Technology

Algorithms and big data are informing increasingly important decisions, from hiring to setting bail. While we like to think that computers act objectively, in this class we will examine how technology reflects and often reinforces the biases and power structures of the culture that creates it. Since technology is a reflection of the society that creates it, we will also learn about who has been historically welcomed to or excluded from the spaces where computing technology is made. The course will involve reading, discussion, written reflections, an oral presentation, as well as a coding project that creatively engages with the course topics. (One CSCI course at the 0100-level)