Sex, Race, and Robots

How to Be Human in the Age of AI

By: Dr. Ayanna Howard

Narrated by: Amandla Stenberg

In the movies, robots can be terrifying. In reality, thinking machines are disrupting the world in ways that are even more disturbing than in Hollywood fantasies - but they also have the potential to change our lives for the better.

In this stirring, visionary work, acclaimed roboticist Dr. Ayanna Howard explores how the tech world’s racial and sexual biases are infecting the next generation of Artificial Intelligence, with profoundly negative effects for humans of all genders and races.

Drawing on cutting-edge research, and her own experience as one of the few Black women in the field of robotics, Dr. Howard shares how she navigated bias in her own coming-of-age as a roboticist. She also reveals how the world of computer programmers, which largely lacks women and Black people, is producing thinking machines that too often think like their flawed creators.

The danger of bias in our AI-powered machines has never been greater. Governments are using supercomputers to track COVID-19 patients. AI is being employed to monitor Black Lives Matter protests. Voice recognition systems have been rolled out that can’t hear female voices. Dr. Howard delivers a stirring warning about the risks of AI and robots - but also offers an uplifting message about empowerment and where we need to go next.

©2019 Audible Originals LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Wonderful treatment of bias in AI

I just finished this book and it was excellent. As a Black woman in robotics I am one of those unicorns that she referred to. This was a wonderful treatment of her journey into robotics and the bias she experienced as a student and engineer. It also explained the humanity of AI and robotics sand how we can respect and embrace it by being aware of how it can be used correctly and incorrectly. I highly recommend.

AMAZING BOOK

Great book on conscious and unconscious bias in our world and how it is negatively impacting our technology. A motivating case to get more diverse backgrounds in tech while the industry is still in it's infancy.

Existing and pre-existing human biases weaponized

I really enjoyed the content, though at times I found the narrator's voice and tone difficult to follow. If the goal is to influence readers to carefully monitor our tacit tendency to believe mechanization, robots and AI algorithms are purely objective, you succeeded with me. Apparently, this is what happens when technology our legal and social infrastructures fall too far behind technology.

Valuable information

Not sensationalized. New information important for understanding & not over reacting to new technology. Critical thinking! !

Makes you ponder the future of tech

First off, the narrator Amandla Stenberg was amazing! Her voice inflection, her passion for the topic came through beautifully! I truly hope Audible employs her voice acting for more projects! The content of this book touches upon many, many aspects of our lives! I was surprised to learn about chat bots, and the algorithms that continually feed you more of what you search for. The information about how and where AI is being used was surprisingly fascinating! I applaud Dr. Ayanna Howard for her dedication to her profession (never giving up despite the pushback she received) and her willingness to pull back the digital curtain showing us how and why AI is biased. I truly enjoyed this informative book! So much to learn in a easy to digest format!