An IAMCR pre-conference
Description
Artificial intelligence is increasingly part and parcel of our lives, permeating many aspects of society and everyday life. From using facial recognition systems that analyse biometric data to unlock our phones, to algorithmic curation of social media feeds based on machine learning of user behaviour, natural language processing models such as ChatGPT to write and compose emails, and generative AI-driven DJ personas and recommendation systems that personalise music playlists, our reliance on these technologies is ever- present whether recognised or not. These same acts, however, can embed inequalities and biases in artificial intelligence. These can range from the algorithms at play, to inherent disability, racial, and gendered biases, as well as to questions of access and planetary cost of using artificial intelligence. Bringing together world-leading scholars of digital inclusion, media, technology and inequalities, this preconference unpacks and reveals the new arenas and experiences of digital exclusion that accompany the implementation of automation and artificial intelligence in everyday digital platforms and services, as well as the persistence and worsening of existing forms of digital exclusion.
Location
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, L1, Media coLab Nanyang Technological University (WKWSCI NTU)
Date and time
Friday 11 July, 2025
09h00 – 16h00
Participation
The preconference will address the following themes:
- new terrains of AI inequalities and approaches to researching digital inclusion and exclusion
- the lived experiences of AI inequalities as enacted across race, gender, sexuality, dis/ability and class
- challenges to AI inequalities, including the role of resistance and refusal
An edited volume around these themes is in progress and select contributors will be invited to submit chapters for the volume.
If interested, please send an email to aiinequalities@gmail.com with the following details by end of 25 April 2025 anywhere on earth:
- Title and a 300-word abstract (references excluded)
- Include a short bio of each author (150 words)
- Indicate if you are an IAMCR member (or if you plan to join)
- Indicate "AI Inequalities IAMCR2025" in the heading of the email
- Contributors to the preconference should indicate which of the 3 identified themes they are addressing
Registration
Registration will be required for attendees. The pre-conference has a capacity for up to 60 participants. The registration cost will be communicated at a later stage, and IAMCR members can anticipate a discounted fee.
Convenors
- Jenny Kennedy, Associate Professor, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University
- Justine Humphry, Senior Lecturer of Digital Cultures, Discipline of Media and Communication, The University of Sydney
- Kuansong Victor Zhuang, Assistant Professor in Disability Communication, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University
Contact
Please direct all queries to aiinequalities@gmail.com
Note: We also asked Chatgpt to give us an image description. This is its 2-line description: The image depicts a futuristic city divided into two halves: one thriving with advanced AI technology and digital inclusion, while the other struggles with outdated tech and exclusion. A central AI figure, split between these worlds, symbolizes the stark inequalities in AI access and digital opportunities.
