Yeshimabeit Milner warns that the true existential threat is big data in the hands of a few (4/8)

Summary

Yeshi Milner, founder of Data for Black Lives, argues against AI as an existential threat, emphasizing the real danger lies in the concentration of data power in few hands. She discusses the historical context of eugenics and its influence on data science, highlighting the disproportionate impact of algorithms like FICO on marginalized communities.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker, Yeshi Milner, is the founder and executive director of Data for Black Lives, a movement of scientists and activists aiming to use data for social change.
• 🔍 Yeshi argues against the idea that AI is an existential threat, instead focusing on the concentration of power in the form of data in the hands of a few as the real threat.
• 📚 The concept of 'existential threat' is defined in the context of AI, drawing on philosophical traditions and the potential for AI to cause human extinction or drastically curtail humanity's potential.
• 📈 The speaker criticizes the use of AI and data science in ways that perpetuate harmful stereotypes and biases, particularly against black communities.
• 💼 Yeshi highlights the role of credit scores, such as FICO, in disproportionately affecting black communities, noting that black people are three times more likely to have a low score despite similar educational and financial backgrounds.
• 🏦 The speaker calls for the abolition of FICO and similar systems, which she sees as perpetuating racial disparities and reinforcing systemic racism through algorithmic decision-making.
• 🌐 The impact of AI and data-driven systems is not evenly distributed, with black and minority communities bearing the brunt of negative consequences, such as reduced access to housing, education, and employment.
• 🌱 Yeshi advocates for reclaiming data as a tool for protest, accountability, and collective action, emphasizing the need to change who controls and benefits from data technologies.
• 👥 The speaker invites the audience to join the movement to change not just the debate around AI and data, but also to ensure that diverse voices are included in the decision-making process.
• 🏛️ The speaker warns against the dangers of necropolitics, where social and political power dictates who lives and who dies, and how AI and data can be used to enforce oppressive systems.

Q & A

Who is Yeshi Milner and what is her role?

Yeshi Milner is the founder and executive director of Data for Black Lives, a movement of scientists and activists working to make data a tool for social change.

What is the main argument Yeshi Milner is making against the motion?

Yeshi Milner argues against the motion that AI is an existential threat, stating that the true existential threat is the concentration of power in the form of data in the hands of a few.

How does Yeshi Milner define 'existential threat' in the context of AI?

She defines 'existential threat' as an event that could cause human extinction or permanently or drastically curtail humanity's potential, drawing on the philosophical tradition of eugenics and transhumanist concepts.

What is the paperclip experiment and why is it relevant to the discussion?

The paperclip experiment is a thought experiment authored by Nick Bostrom, one of the founders of the existential risk movement. It is relevant because it illustrates the potential dangers of AI if its optimization processes are misaligned with human values.

What is the connection between eugenics and the development of AI?

Yeshi Milner suggests that the development of AI and data science has been influenced by eugenic ideologies, which have historically been used to justify discrimination and oppression based on race.

What incident involving Nick Bostrom is mentioned in the script?

The script mentions an incident where Nick Bostrom admitted to writing a racist email, expressing beliefs about racial differences in intelligence, which Yeshi Milner criticizes as a reflection of harmful biases in AI development.

How does Yeshi Milner describe her personal experience with the concept of 'risk'?

She describes her personal experience with the concept of 'risk' as being introduced to it at a young age in an elementary school computer lab, where she was told she was 'at risk' due to being enrolled in an after-school program for at-risk youth.

What is the FICO score and why is it problematic according to Yeshi Milner?

The FICO score is a credit score algorithm used in the United States to determine an individual's creditworthiness. Yeshi Milner argues that it is problematic because it reflects and reinforces racial biases, with black people being three times more likely to have a low score.

What is the term 'necropolitics' and how does it relate to the use of AI?

Necropolitics is a term used to describe the use of social and political power to dictate how some people may live and how some people must die. Yeshi Milner relates it to the use of AI by suggesting that AI can be used to enforce and justify harmful societal structures and beliefs.

What is the main call to action in Yeshi Milner's speech?

The main call to action in Yeshi Milner's speech is to abolish big data and dismantle the structures that put the power of data into the hands of a few, rather than focusing on AI as an existential threat.

How does Yeshi Milner suggest we should be using AI and data?

She suggests that we should be using AI and data as tools to promote equity, fairness, and justice, and to put these powerful tools into the hands of people who need them the most.