How can tech address inequality? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee of the Brookings Institution about algorithmic discrimination and broadband access. Listen to Nicol talk about why she thinks addressing algorithmic discrimination is so important, why algorithms reflect and reinforce existing structural inequalities in society, and how computer scientists and social scientists can work together to find better solutions. Nicol also talks about her upcoming book, Digitally Invisible: How the internet is creating the new underclass, where she went to 7 communities around the US to see and understand the lives of those who live on the wrong side of the digital divide. Listen to Nicol talk about seeing students carrying phones with them in Arizona in case their parents get deported and also seeing students on the stoop of their school in Alabama in order to get internet access. The pandemic has brought new challenges but also opportunities on closing the digital divide, especially with new federal infrastructure funding for broadband access. Finally, listen to Nicol reflect on her own journey as a Black female sociologist working on tech policy in Washington, DC, and hear her advice for young professionals starting their journeys today. 

Guest bio:

Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee is a senior fellow in Governance Studies, the director of the Center for Technology Innovation, and serves as Co-Editor-In-Chief of TechTank. Dr. Turner Lee researches public policy designed to enable equitable access to technology across the U.S. and to harness its power to create change in communities across the world. She has a forthcoming book on the U.S. digital divide titled Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating the New Underclass (forthcoming 2022, Brookings Press).

Related links:

Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumer harms. Nicol Turner-Lee, Paul Resnick, and Genie Barton. Brookings Institution. May 22, 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/research/algorithmic-bias-detection-and-mitigation-best-practices-and-policies-to-reduce-consumer-harms/

About the podcast: 

How Tech Becomes Law is a weekly public interest tech podcast about technology, public policy, and career advice. We are your co-hosts, Jinyan Zang and Dhruv Gupta. Each episode uncovers insights from leaders in government, business, journalism, and academia to highlight how technology can be built in the public interest. Interviewees discuss how technology can move society forward, what role they play in shaping this, and how students and young professionals can impact the path forward.

We are supported by the Public Interest Tech Lab. Listen to us on your podcast platform of choice. You can find us online at howtechbecomeslaw.org and on social media channels @techbecomeslaw.