Week 8 Activity (Option 1): Nelson Series talk @ Mudd

For colloquium this week, you can attend a talk from the 2023 Dr. Bruce J. Nelson ’74 Distinguished Speaker Series which this semester is exploring the complex interplay between humanity, artificial intelligence, and the future. The series will delve into the ethical, social, aesthetic and technological dimensions that shape our lives in the emerging AI age.

The talk this week is by Ruha Benjamin, a sociologist and author. The talk is on Thursday, October 19, at 6:00 PM in the Auditorium of the R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvey Mudd College (SHAN 1430). There will be a reception beforehand at 5:15 PM outside the auditorium.

This talk is one of two colloquium options for this week. The other option is to attend the talk by Adam Smith at Pomona College which takes place on Thursday at the usual colloquium time. (You can also attend both events if you wish!)

Because this talk takes place at a different time from normal colloquium talks, we have slightly different rules for this week for students enrolled in CS Colloquium (CS 195). Regardless of which section you're in:

If you reasonably can attend this talk live and in person in its timeslot, we would be strongly encourage you to do so. It matters a lot to have a good audience for the speaker, and it's a great opportunity to see a talk by a world-class speaker.
If you cannot attend this talk live and in person in its timeslot, you may watch the recording of the talk instead. The recording will be posted here after the event.
Alternatively, you may attend the talk by Adam Smith at Pomona College instead. That talk is at the usual colloquium time, and you can find more information about it here. The Pomona talk will not be recorded.

Register for the Talk

Nelson series talks are free and open to the public, but you should register to attend. Please register for the talk at the link below:

Artificial Intelligence to Collective Wisdom

Abstract

From automated decision systems in healthcare, policing, education and more, technologies have the potential to deepen discrimination while appearing neutral and even benevolent when compared to harmful practices of a previous era. Ruha Benjamin takes us into the world of biased bots, altruistic algorithms and their many entanglements and provides conceptual tools to decode tech predictions with historical and sociological insight. When it comes to AI, Benjamin shifts our focus from the dystopian and utopian narratives we are sold, to a sober reckoning with the way these tools are already a part of our lives. Whereas dystopias are the stuff of nightmares and utopias the stuff of dreams… ustopias are what we create together when we are wide awake.

About Ruha Benjamin

Ruha Benjamin is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, and author of the award-winning book Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, among many other publications. Her work investigates the social dimensions of science, medicine, and technology with a focus on the relationship between innovation and inequity, health and justice, knowledge and power. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholar Award and the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton. Her most recent book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, winner of the 2023 Stowe Prize, was born out of the twin plagues of COVID-19 and police violence and offers a practical and principled approach to transforming our communities and helping us build a more just and joyful world.

When and How to Attend

Thursday, October 19
- Registration is required to attend this talk live. Please register at the link above.
- Location: Auditorium, R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvey Mudd College (SHAN 1430)
- Optional reception begins at 5:15 PM
- Talk runs from 6:00–7:00 PM