I couldn't keep it down, I read it in almost one sitting! It's a riveting book.

The story told is of extreme importance nowadays when everything is incorporating AI. Being aware of the possible biases, it's the first step to start to deal with it. I work in this field so for me, it's was very informative and even motivating. We should question and research these technologies more before releasing them where they will affect the general public.

Thank you for this! It's brilliantly written and it's really helpful for an article I'm working on. Can't wait to see what Doctor Joy does next!

This was a fantastic book that I am so glad I read! Buolamwini writes in an incredibly engaging and inspiring way and I cannot wait to continue to explore the themes of AI/technology and social justice. Her writing and prose was fantastic and I am recommending this book to all my tech friends.

I follow a TikTok account run by a woman who teaches AI ethics at a university in the US and she often references Joy Buolamwini when doing videos about racial bias in technology and AI. I'd never thought this type of conversation was accessible for me, a person who can use Word on my computer and almost nothing else. But this book is very accessible for non-tech people. New and emerging technologies are used as a starting point for much larger cultural conversations including who gets to make the rules, who holds the power and how does that impact people without power.

The book starts with Joy sharing the story of how she got into studying AI and technology ethics, when originally she wanted to do coding and programing. She created a mirror which you could interact with, however the code she used couldn't 'see' or recognize her face. When she put on a white mask left over from Halloween, all of a sudden her face was recognizable. Joy even collaborated with an artist and turned this learning into an art performance at a museum.

If you are interested in stories like these and following Joy's journey and discussion through AI ethics, I highly recommend.

A behind the scenes look of Joy Buolamwini’s own journey of working with AI and ethics. Mostly told linearly, there wasn’t a specific hook that made me want to keep reading. A lot of the information wasn’t new, so I believe it’d be better suited to an audience that isn’t super familiar with AI. Overall, enjoyable and an important read in today’s day and age.

While Dr. Joy chronicles her Ph.D. journey, the reader explores their unwilling interaction with AI. We are also asked to think of who is privaled with the addition of AIand those implications. Dr. Joy is vulnerable in sharing her journey of AI and IRL bias.

A scary look at what the advancement of technology could mean for humanity. Loved the diversity and the storytelling was peak entertainment.

Abbreviated Description:
To most of us, it seems like recent developments in artificial intelligence emerged out of nowhere to pose unprecedented threats to humankind. But to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, who has been at the forefront of AI research, this moment has been a long time in the making.

Unmasking AI goes beyond the headlines about existential risks produced by Big Tech. It is the remarkable story of how Buolamwini uncovered what she calls “the coded gaze”—the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League. Applying an intersectional lens to both the tech industry and the research sector, she shows how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity “excoded” and therefore vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. Computers, she reminds us, are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.

Encouraging experts and non-experts alike to join this fight, Buolamwini writes, “The rising frontier for civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.”

My thoughts:
Dr. Buolamwini deftly answers the questions "why me?" and "why now?" through this treatise explains the conundrum of what the AI can provide and the ethics and biased inherent in that advancement. It is a scholarly work, but accessible to any person who enjoys speculative fiction and views it as a cautionary tale.

"Unmasking AI" by Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a powerful exploration of the hidden biases and inequalities within the world of artificial intelligence. From her early days tinkering with robotics in Memphis to her Fulbright fellowship developing mobile apps in Zambia, Dr. Buolamwini's journey is impressive and demonstrative of her passion for computer science, engineering, and art. Her pivotal moment came when she joined MIT's "Future Factory" as a graduate student and conducted groundbreaking research that unveiled the deep-seated racial and gender bias present in AI services provided by tech giants across the globe.

"Unmasking AI" goes beyond sensational headlines about the existential risks posed by Big Tech and dives deep into Dr. Buolamwini's remarkable journey. She introduces us to the concept of the "coded gaze," a term she coined to describe the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion present in tech products. Dr. Buolamwini's work serves as a call to action as she galvanizes a movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League.

What sets Dr. Joy Buolamwini apart is her commitment to examining and rectifying what is not working with the development of AI, rather than simply building AI for the sake of it. She applies an intersectional lens to the tech industry and the research sector, shedding light on how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render large segments of humanity "excoded" and consequently vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. She reminds us that computers are not neutral entities but reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.

As we move into an AI-driven future, this book reminds us of the urgent need for algorithmic fairness, accountability, and the elimination of biases that can perpetuate discrimination and exclusion. "Unmasking AI" is a vital read for anyone concerned about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. It was so thought-provoking I had to look up Dr. Buolamwini's dissertation to learn more! Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc!

I’ve followed Dr. Buolamwini‘s important work since the early days and was excited to read her book. For most of it, I couldn’t quite tell who the book was for. It doesn’t offer many new details about her work or personal life. It doesn’t have enough detail on the social construction of race to provide new information for social scientists or (I’m guessing) enough computer science for people in that field. Surprisingly, given her huge impact, it was often a bit boring.

Towards the end she mentions that when talking to undergraduate computer science majors at MIT she hoped to someday have a book to refer them to when they asked about how to support algorithmic justice. I think this is that book, which is great, but not for me. That said, I look forward to continuing to follow and support her work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.