They Say / I Blog

Space junk: Iris Gottlieb on the growing problem of garbage in outer space

Trash is piling up around the globe, from overflowing landfills to plastic waste washing up on shorelines. However, this problem extends beyond Earth itself. In this essay, Iris Gottlieb highlights a newer and often overlooked dumping ground: outer space. Gottlieb describes the human-made debris orbiting the planet and littering the Moon, arguing that outer space is a “public resource” that should be protected.

Iris Gottlieb, "Elon Musk is Sending His Garbage Into Space (with All the Other Trash)" LitHub.com, 19 August 2024

 

Looking for human connections: Allison Pugh on why care work shouldn’t be outsourced to generative AI

Could a generative AI chatbot have a real relationship with a person? Allison Pugh, a sociologist, argues no: “there is no human relationship when one half of the encounter is a machine,” she writes. In her argument, Pugh describes how care-focused generative AI platforms–such as the ones being used in education, medical, and therapy settings–damage human relationships by making people feel both invisible and disconnected from each other.

Allison Pugh, "When AI Automates Relationships, TIME, 14 August 2024.

 

Say yes to the bots: Sidney I. Dobrin on embracing the future of generative AI writing technologies

Lots of people are understandably nervous about AI technologies, from concerns about biased algorithms and data privacy to worries about how generative AI writing technologies might change the ways people write and what students learn. Frankly, it can all feel overwhelming. So, what should instructors and students do about generative AI writing technologies? In this essay, Sidney I. Dobrin, a professor of English, argues for a way forward and explains why he thinks it’s futile to ignore or ban generative AI writing technologies in the classroom.

Sidney I. Dobrin, "Generative AI Bots Will Change How We Write Forever—and That’s a Good Thing," The Hill, 22 July 2023

 

The automation of creation: Michael Russell Gunn on what’s at stake in the Hollywood writers’ strike

In May 2023, Hollywood production ground to a halt as the Writers Guild of America, a union representing over 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike. One major contention these writers have is how they are compensated for the shows and movies people watch on streaming platforms. Underneath this issue, though, lies a bigger question, one that screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn explores in this essay: how do AI technologies threaten not just Hollywood but “the future of human work”?

Michael Russell Gunn, "I'm a Hollywood Screenwriter. This Is Why Our Strike Matters to You. BU Today, Boston University, 4 May 2023

 

Rules for the robot revolution: Ted Lieu on regulating artificial intelligence

Our daily lives increasingly rely on AI technology, from the facial recognition software that unlocks our smartphones to the smart algorithms that curate our search engine results pages. This “fourth industrial revolution,” as computer scientist and U.S. congressman Ted Lieu describes it, presents a challenge: how can people benefit from AI innovation and be protected from the harmful consequences of AI, from unwanted surveillance to systemic bias? In this op-ed also published in the New York Times, Lieu makes a case for why the U.S. needs a new federal agency to regulate AI.

Ted Lieu, "I’m a Congressman Who Codes. A.I. Freaks Me Out." Congressman Ted Lieu: Representing the 36th District of California, https://lieu.house.gov, 23 January 2023.

 

“Algorithms fault her”: Joy Buolamwini on deep-rooted racial biases in facial recognition software

Who can artificial intelligence see, and whose faces and stories remain invisible? Joy Buolamwini, poet, computer scientist, and co-founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, asks this question in her research about how racial and gender biases influence the software and search algorithms that shape our everyday lives. In this provocative spoken-word video, Buolamwini demonstrates the shortcomings of facial recognition software and argues that the developers of AI technology “often forget[] to deal with race, gender, and class” (1:03).

Joy Buolamwini, "AI, Ain't I A Woman?" YouTube.com, 18 June 2018

 

The limits of free speech: Jacob Mchangama on censorship, extremism, and hate speech

There’s no question that social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can rapidly amplify and circulate hate speech and extremist content. Solutions to this problem are murky, as seen in debates over topics such as cancel culture, free speech, and censorship. In this essay, Jacob Mchangama, a Danish writer and lawyer, argues that an expansive definition of free expression is essential for vibrant democracies. He warns against having too many restrictions on the kinds of speech posted and circulated online.

Jacob Mchangama, "Banning Hate Speech Won’t End Extremist Violence," Persuasion, 6 June 2022

 

The future of money: Lana Swartz on digital currency and the benefits of cash

Don’t have cash? No problem. The number of places where you can use cashless transactions has multiplied in recent years, from digital wallets to contactless payments on public transit. For all the convenience of digital currency, however, there are significant downsides to eschewing cash, according to Lana Swartz, an assistant professor of media studies. Swartz argues that cash is a “universal, public, printed monetary medium” that makes it possible for people to participate equally in economic exchanges.

Lana Swartz, "In Praise of the Dollar Bill," MIT Technology Review, 15 April 2022

 

A safety net with many holes: Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra on the limitations of crowdfunding

Organizations like GoFundMe claim to tap into the power of social networks: those in need of financial assistance post on their social media sites and gather donations from people far beyond their immediate circle of family and friends. Yet according to researchers Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe “have been largely unsuccessful in solving financial problems for most of the people who use them.” Kenworthy and Igra detail the reasons why and argue that the uptick in crowdfunding campaigns points toward growing inequities in our society.

Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, "Crowdfunding Isn't Enough in a Crisis," Scientific American, 4 February 2022

 

Dispatch from the war zone: Kyle Chayka on the effects of using social media to document war

Social media platforms are another front in 21st century warfare, and people have increasingly turned to them to narrate and share their personal war experiences. From Syria to Ukraine, images and videos circulated on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have chronicled the human impact of conflict in real time. In this essay, Kyle Chayka analyzes how these glimpses affect both those in the war and those watching it online.

Kyle Chayka, "Watching the World's 'First TikTok War,'" The New Yorker, 3 March 2022