From our October newsletter
1. Data Feminism for AI, 2. Decolonizing Data, 3. Gaza’s Telecommunications Infrastructure
Watch: Data Feminism for AI: A talk by Dr. Lauren Klein
You may know that “Equity is both an outcome and a process" is one of our favorite concepts from the book “Data Feminism” and we emphasize the book's perspectives in our data equity workshops.
So we were excited to see co-author Lauren Klein's recent presentation - an “AI update,” so to speak - where she recapped the intersectional feminist approach to data, explained its relevance to artificial intelligence, and offered suggestions on how to create ethical AI projects.
Full of critical examples like feminicide, the first “AI wars” in Ukraine and in Gaza, AI in EHR (electronic health records) and data approaches to indigenous languages, the talk emphasized the importance of participatory processes, AI co-design, and listening to data activists. Klein closed her presentation noting that data feminism has a role to play towards the goal of “designing technology that works toward liberation and not just resource extraction.”
Watch the recording here (Klein starts about at 16:50).
Watch / attend: Decolonizing data
Looking for an intro to data decolonization? Check out this 5-minute video from Natives in Tech’s 2023 conference. We got a chance to sit in with them last week for part 1 of their 2024 series.
Decolonizing Data part 2 will take place on Nov 8 during their 2024 conference. Follow them on LInkedIn for details.
Read: New report on the impact of war on Gaza’s telecommunications infrastructure
The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media just released a report documenting the extensive damage and humanitarian impact caused by the ongoing war on Gaza. Among other points:
75% of Gaza's telecommunications infrastructure has been damaged, with at least 50% completely destroyed.
Only 30% of the communication towers and infrastructure components are currently operational.
Local telecommunications companies rely heavily on diesel generators to keep services running due to fuel shortages and power outages.
Communication is a fundamental human right. Read the summary and download the report here.
