Ford School Explores Tech & Society’s Future

The Importance of Diverse Voices

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, it’s crucial to recognize that innovation should not occur in a vacuum. The potential impact of new technologies on society necessitates diverse voices at the table during the development process. Gamestanza believes that excluding marginalized communities from technological discourse can lead to unintended consequences and exacerbate existing inequalities.

When communities are not involved in shaping technology, their needs and concerns are often overlooked. This can result in solutions that are not only ineffective but also potentially harmful. For example, facial recognition technology, while promising in certain applications, has been shown to exhibit racial bias, leading to disproportionate misidentification of individuals from minority groups.

STPP’s Community Partnerships Initiative

The University of Michigan’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP) at the Ford School of Public Policy recognizes the paramount importance of community engagement in technology development. In a concerted effort to bridge the gap between technologists and the communities they serve, STPP has launched the Community Partnerships Initiative.

Bridging the Gap

This initiative is designed to address the inherent imbalance in technology development, where those most affected by new technologies are often excluded from the decision-making process. The Community Partnerships Initiative strives to empower community organizations by providing them with the resources, knowledge, and platform to actively participate in shaping technologies that impact their lives.

Methods for Incorporation

The Community Partnerships Initiative employs a multifaceted approach to ensure meaningful community involvement:

• Needs Assessment: STPP works closely with community partners to identify emerging technologies that may present challenges or opportunities for their constituents.
• Capacity Building: STPP provides training and resources to equip community members with the knowledge and skills to engage effectively in technology-related discussions and decision-making processes.
• Collaborative Research: STPP fosters collaborative research projects between technologists and community organizations, ensuring that community perspectives are integrated into the research design, data collection, and analysis.
• Policy Advocacy: STPP supports community organizations in advocating for policies that promote equitable and responsible development and deployment of technologies.

Real-World Impact

The Community Partnerships Initiative has demonstrably impacted real-world issues by fostering collaborations between STPP and community organizations.

Addressing Tenant Screening Algorithms

In a significant initiative, STPP partnered with Detroit Action to analyze the potential for bias in tenant screening algorithms. These algorithms are increasingly used by landlords to screen potential tenants, but they can perpetuate discriminatory practices if not carefully designed and monitored. Through this collaboration, STPP and Detroit Action produced a memo highlighting the risks associated with these algorithms and recommending strategies to mitigate bias and promote fairness in the housing market.

Police Surveillance Technology

STPP also collaborated with We The People Michigan to develop contracts between the Detroit Police Department and companies providing surveillance technology. These contracts aim to ensure that the deployment of surveillance technologies is transparent, accountable, and respects the privacy rights of Detroit residents. By incorporating community input into these contracts, STPP and We The People Michigan are helping to shape the future of policing in a way that is both effective and ethical.

Building a Better Future: Case Studies and Future Directions

The success stories of STPP’s Community Partnerships Initiative demonstrate the transformative power of collaboration between technologists, policymakers, and community members.

Divya Ramesh’s Journey

Divya Ramesh, a Rackham student and STPP graduate certificate program member, shared her journey with Gamestanza. Her experience working at a tech startup focused on computer vision technology for individuals with visual impairments sparked her interest in the ethical implications of AI.

“Often, there’s a huge distance between the technologists who build the solutions and the communities that we claim we would like to benefit,” Ramesh explained. “For me, it’s about building (the) grid differently, starting to bring the communities into the room, exploring processes by which we can bring both technologists and community experts on the same page, and then start to envision technologies differently.”

Annabella Vidrio’s Advocacy

Annabella Vidrio, a U-M alumna, highlighted her work with the Community Partnerships Initiative. She collaborated with Detroit Action to analyze the potential biases in tenant screening algorithms and with We The People Michigan to develop contracts governing the use of surveillance technology by the Detroit Police Department.

“In both these instances, the technology, I realized, was not made with the community well-being in mind, and in doing so had negative consequences,” Vidrio stated. “So in doing this work with the Community Partners Initiative, I really learned the importance of a humanities-driven tech perspective, and how we can use this to empower communities.”

Looking Ahead

The future of technology and society is inextricably intertwined. To ensure that technological advancements benefit all members of society, it is imperative to continue fostering collaboration between technologists, policymakers, and community members.

Gamestanza believes that by embracing a human-centered approach to technology development, we can create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.

Conclusion

The Ford School’s STTP program recently hosted a webinar diving into the complex relationship between technology and society, a conversation as relevant to gamers as it is to everyone else. The experts highlighted the undeniable influence technology wields on our lives, from shaping our social interactions to impacting our perception of reality. They emphasized the need for critical thinking and ethical considerations as technology rapidly advances, urging us to be mindful of its potential pitfalls and strive for responsible innovation.

This conversation extends far beyond the screen. The implications of these discussions resonate deeply within the gaming community. As game developers and players, we are at the forefront of this technological revolution, shaping and being shaped by its evolution. From virtual reality blurring the lines between the real and the digital to the rise of artificial intelligence in gameplay, we must actively engage in shaping a future where technology empowers and enriches our gaming experiences while upholding ethical standards and fostering inclusivity.

The webinar served as a powerful reminder that the games we play are not just entertainment; they are reflections of ourselves and the world around us. As we navigate this uncharted territory, let us embrace the power of technology with responsibility, ensuring that the future of gaming is a future we can all be proud of.