If you’re always on the move or want to simply give your sore eyes a little bit of a respite, audiobooks can be a great way for catching up on what’s new in the space of ethical AI and tech for positive impact. I’m building up an ethical tech and ethical artificial intelligence audiobooks library and happy to share it with kindred spirits 🙂
Look forward to your recommendations as well! You can share them in this post’s comments section or via email (angela@tc.chat)
AI Ethics: MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series by Mark Coeckelbergh
Technology philosopher Mark Coeckelbergh describes influential AI narratives, ranging from Frankenstein’s monster to transhumanism and the technological singularity while he explores how Artificial intelligence powers Google’s search engine, enables Facebook to target advertising, and allows Alexa and Siri to do their jobs. He surveys relevant philosophical discussions: questions about the fundamental differences between humans and machines and debates over the moral status of AI. He explains the technology of AI, describing different approaches and focusing on machine learning and data science. He offers an overview of important ethical issues, including privacy concerns, responsibility and the delegation of decision making, transparency, and bias as it arises at all stages of data science processes. He also considers the future of work in an AI economy. Finally, he analyzes a range of policy proposals and discusses challenges for policymakers. He argues for ethical practices that embed values in design, translate democratic values into practices, and include a vision of the good life and the good society.
As someone who is starting to go deeper into the intersection of technology, ethics, and regulation, I definitely would recommend you keep this great resource handy.
The Ethics of invention: Technology and the Human Future by Sheila Jasanoff
The author, Sheila Jasanoff, challenges the common assumption that technology is an apolitical and amoral force. She analyses how technology rules us as much as laws do. It shapes the legal, social, and ethical environments in which we act. Every time we cross a street, drive a car or go to the doctor, we submit to the silent power of technology. Yet, much of the time, the influence of technology on our lives goes unchallenged by citizens and our elected representatives, concludes Jasanoff.
#Deleted: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal the Election, by Allum Bokhari
The journalist shares the outcome of his 4-year investigation into how the tech giants that dominate the Internet (Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter) leverage their dominance to seize control of the flow of information. Bokhari assesses how they utilise that power to its full extent – to be “good censors” that manipulate and ultimately sway the outcome of democratic elections.
Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything by Dr. Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
Researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith and cartoonist Zach Weinersmith join forces in this witty snapshot of what’s coming next. The Weinersmiths look into inventions ranging from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters through a series of interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, salt-peppered with their own research. They cover 10 different emerging fields, including augmented reality and robotic construction.
Deviced!: Balancing Life and Technology in a Digital World by Doreen Dodgen-Magee
Dodgen-Magee highlights the brain changes that result from excessive technology use and offers an approach to the digital world that enables more informed and lasting change and a healthier long-term perspective. Recent research suggests that we spend on average 10 or more hours a day interacting with digital devices and screens. While the effects of those interactions differ at each point of development, real changes to the brain, relationships, and personal lives are well documented. Deviced! explores these alterations and offers a look at how we can better use technology.
Rise of the Robots by Martin Ford
Can accelerating technology disrupt our entire economic system to the point where a fundamental restructuring is required? Martin Ford argues that increasingly, machines will be able to take care of themselves, and fewer jobs will be necessary. The effects of this transition could be shattering. Unless we begin to radically reassess the fundamentals of how our economy works, we could have both an enormous population of the unemployed-the truck drivers, warehouse workers, cooks, lawyers, doctors, teachers, programmers, and many, many more, whose labors have been rendered superfluous by automated and intelligent machines.