During the 2010s, there was a growing sense that among the things being broken in our move-fast digital economy were people's lives. The unicorns and fairy dust of Silicon Valley seemed less magical in light of sitcom parodies, algorithmic discrimination, and evenings lost to doom-scrolling. Public discussions around algorithmic bias surged as figures like Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru highlighted the importance of addressing these critical issues within machine learning, prompting a broader analysis of AI's societal impacts.
AI Snake Oil originated in this moment. Arvind Narayanan's talk in 2019 critically dismantled the hype surrounding AI, leading to widespread dissemination of his insights. These revelations about the reality of AI capabilities resonated especially well within the digital community, marked by a surge of interest on social media and the press. Narayanan and co-author Sayash Kapoor later announced a book project aimed at providing clarity and guidance on recognizing flawed AI claims, furthering the critical dialogue around technology.
Collection
[
|
...
]