Geography, Technology, and Power (in the Age of AI)

In this course we will examine the geographic relationship between technology and power, particularly in the context of contemporary debates around artificial intelligence. We will learn methods from critical geography in order to situate our current moment in a broader sweep of technological, social, and environmental change. Using a “genealogical” approach, we will trace the development of AI through the emergence of fossil fuels, submarine cables and telegraphy, logistics and transportation infrastructures, petrochemicals and “critical” minerals, and various practices of information management, processing, and storage. These historical topics will be bracketed by readings, discussion, and debate on the socio–spatial and environmental dimensions of AI, culminating in an Atlas of AI final project.