This episode features a conversation between Lane Rasberry, the Wikimedia-in-Residence at the UVA School of Data Science, and Virginia Eubanks, an author, journalist, and associate professor of political science at the University of Albany, SUNY. 
This conversation was recorded back in 2019, but it is still very relevant to our current moment. In many ways it is a discussion that looks towards the future, warning of the unintended, or at times intended, consequences of emerging technologies. The discussion largely focuses on the effects of algorithmic automation, as well as the practice, policies, and implementation of these algorithms. And, while the conversation lobs some heavy critiques at the tech world, it also provides many reasons for optimism. It’s a fascinating and multifaceted discussion.
Virginia Eubanks is the author the 2018 book Automating Inequality, which is a detailed investigation into data-based discrimination. She is also the author of Digital Dead End: Fighting for Social Justice in the Information Age and the co-editor, with Alethia Jones, of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith. She also writes for various outlets, including the Guardian, American Scientist, and the New York Times. Recently, Virginia began the PTSD Bookclub, an ongoing project that explores books about trauma and its aftermath. You can find this project and Virginia Eubank’s other projects at virginia-eubanks.com.