Kate Crawford’s “Atlas of AI” presents a unique perspective on artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than focusing solely on its technical aspects, she delves into the often-overlooked societal implications of AI, including its environmental footprint, political consequences, and ethical dilemmas.
The Book in Three Sentences
- “Atlas of AI” by Kate Crawford is an insightful exploration of the real-world impact of artificial intelligence, presenting a comprehensive view that goes beyond algorithms and computations.
- The book delves into AI’s environmental, economic, political, and ethical implications.
- Crawford challenges the prevailing view of AI as neutral and objective by highlighting its inherent biases and inequalities.
Extended Summary
The book starts with an exploration of the physical infrastructure underpinning AI systems. It looks at everything from data centers to lithium mines, highlighting the environmental cost associated with these technologies. Crawford also examines how data is collected and used in AI development, drawing attention to privacy and consent issues.
The second part of “Atlas of AI” looks at how these technologies are used in society. Crawford explores how AI systems can reinforce existing biases and inequalities due to their design and training data. She also discusses how powerful entities can use these technologies for surveillance and control.
In the book’s final part, Crawford presents some possible paths forward for more equitable and sustainable use of AI. She argues for greater transparency in how these systems are developed and deployed as well as more democratic control over their use.
Throughout “Atlas of AI”, Kate Crawford paints a comprehensive picture not just about what artificial intelligence is but also about what it does to our world – environmentally, politically, economically, ethically.
Key Points
- Artificial Intelligence has significant environmental costs due to its reliance on resource-intensive infrastructure.
- AI data collection often involves issues around privacy breaches and lack of informed consent.
- AI systems can reinforce existing societal biases due to their design.
- The use of AI for surveillance and control by powerful entities is concerning.
- Greater transparency and democratic control are needed to develop and deploy AI.
Who Should Read
“Atlas of AI” is a must-read for anyone interested in the broader implications of artificial intelligence. It would appeal to tech enthusiasts, data scientists, policymakers, sociologists, or anyone interested in understanding the far-reaching impact of AI on society. This book is also an excellent resource for information technology, computer science, or digital ethics students.
About the Author
Kate Crawford is a leading scholar on the social implications of artificial intelligence. She has spent over a decade studying the social implications of data systems, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. She is a research professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, a senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research in New York, and was the inaugural Visiting Chair in AI and Justice at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.
Further Reading
- Kate Crawford’s website
- Related books: “Weapons of Math Destruction” by Cathy O’Neil; “Automating Inequality” by Virginia Eubanks
- Founded by Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker, the AI Now Initiative is an independent, interdisciplinary research initiative working to understand AI’s social and economic implications.
