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Unmasking AI

My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines

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Unmasking AI

By: Joy Buolamwini
Narrated by: Joy Buolamwini
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About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “The conscience of the AI revolution” (Fortune) explains how we’ve arrived at an era of AI harms and oppression, and what we can do to avoid its pitfalls.

“AI is not coming, it’s here. If we answer the beautiful call inside these pages, we can decide who we are going to be and how we’re going to use technology in service of what it means to be fully human.”—Brené Brown, #1
New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead

A
LOS ANGELES TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Shortlisted for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award

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.

After tinkering with robotics as a high school student in Memphis and then developing mobile apps in Zambia as a Fulbright fellow, Buolamwini followed her lifelong passion for computer science, engineering, and art to MIT in 2015. As a graduate student at the “Future Factory,” she did groundbreaking research that exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants across the world.

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.”

©2023 Joy Buolamwini (P)2023 Random House Audio
Computer Science Science & Technology Technology & Society Inspiring Artificial Intelligence
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Critic reviews

“This revelatory book exposes the myriad, deeply ingrained biases encoded into facial recognition and other ‘trusted’ AI systems, pushing us to confront our blind trust in the machines that are taking over our lives. In describing how she conquered her own demons along her path towards justice for all, Dr. Joy Buolamwini offers a deeply felt, stirring call to action for ethical AI—a must-read for those who want a world in which technology serves humanity.”—Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, CEO and president of Rappler

“In a world plagued by AI harms and threats to our civil rights, Dr. Joy Buolamwini has been an essential figure in bringing irresponsible, profit-hungry tech giants to their knees. Unmasking AI is an inspiring story about her journey from precocious student to groundbreaking pioneer in a field where women like herself are often rendered invisible. If you’re going to read only one book about AI, this should be it.”—Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation

“Joy Buolamwini is a unique and powerful intellectual force, and this book explains why. We are honored to follow her on each step of her journey from an earnest and diligent grad student to an outspoken and celebrated role model for algorithmic justice, rooting for her and likewise for our combined future.”—Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction

Dear Listener,

What do I hope you will get out of this audiobook?
"I hope that when you hear the stories of triumph and underdogs leading change that are featured in my audiobook, you will be inspired to see that harmful trajectories of AI can be altered if we raise our voices, refuse to accept the status quo, and push for a world where technology serves all of us, not just the privileged few. I hope people walk away knowing that if they have a face, they have a place in the conversation about AI. We need you now more than ever." – Joy Buolamwini, writer of Unmasking AI

What listeners say about Unmasking AI

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It’s time we boundary AI

An important topic, we must pay closer attention to how and why it’s actually used. Asking is it helping or hindering us? This country needs no more opportunities for division or racism.
We also need to protect what is human.

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Outstanding!

Doctor Joy provides deep insights into a data world that affects all of our lives.

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Eye Opening report

The mix of personal story with academic goals, artistic approaches, technology details and activism woke me up!

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In-depth Clarity and Insights

In-depth Insights that anyone can comprehend. Passion, commitment, and care are clearly evident. Humanity, compassion, empathy and personal frailties buttress impeccable technical knowledge and experience. Inspirational and guidance for all. Sankofa 🖤

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Compelling case for Responsible AI interwoven in a real life story

An autobiography of Dr. Buolomwini that elegantly makes the case for Responsible AI and inclusive AI. This read was eye opening, insightful, educational , provocative and enjoyable. It should be integrated into every university’s AI 101!

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What a beautiful storyteller!

I first picked up this book thinking I would learn something about the current state of AI. But Dr Joy delivered beyond that. To go through all this challenging stuff while working on PhD and bro able to tell this story is next level strength! 🙌🏽

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This book helped me push forward each day

I truly enjoyed reading Dr. Buolamwini’s journey. As a Black female scientist, I am confronted each day with so many obstacles. Listening to how, despite adversity, Dr. Joy continued on and found allyship along the way. It keeps me hopeful.

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An exquisite and important book read by the author herself!

Anyone working with or even thinking about technology should read this book - gratitude to Dr. Buolamwini for her dedication to educating us on what out means to take a human-centered approach to technology.

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An essential read for today’s world

I recently finished listeining to Dr. Joy Buolamwini ‘s audiobook “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines” and want to recommend it to anyone interested in our place as citizens in the age of AI. It’s an essential read, where Dr Joy manages to include and facilitate access to complex conversations about how algorithms and our data impact us today.

This is definitely a book that I will be gifting a lot in 2024, specially to more women in tech as I found it to be one of the most inspiring pieces I’ve read so far regarding career growth and understanding and embracing your unique voice when identifying something that needs to be re-thought/challenged/questioned.

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The amount of effort and sacrifice this wonderful woman put into educating the masses on this dire topic

Extremely educational, enlightening and at the same time jarring and scary. Thanks so much for bringing this topic to light. Keep up the outstanding work

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