Renowned academic and professor at Princeton University, Ruha Benjamin, will be delivering a captivating lecture at the University of Rhode Island, exploring the profound impact of technology on society. Entitled “Utopia, Dystopia or … Ustopia: Reckoning with the Future of Technology and Society,” Benjamin’s lecture is anticipated to be a thought-provoking examination of how technological advancements will shape our future.
The event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 22, at 5 p.m. in the Hope Room of the Higgins Welcome Center on the Kingston Campus. The general public is cordially invited to attend the lecture at no cost, and those unable to attend in person can join the livestream on various platforms, including Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube. However, registration is required to receive the livestream link or to attend the talk in person.
Ammina Kothari, the director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media, has expressed her excitement at welcoming Dr. Benjamin to the University. Kothari has highlighted the accessibility of Benjamin’s work, noting that while the topics she addresses are complex, her work often presents practical solutions to address the inequalities brought about by technological innovation.
Benjamin’s research focuses on the interplay between science, technology, medicine, and society, delving into critical debates about how these elements influence the world and how individuals can engage with them in a critical manner. Her forthcoming lecture at URI is particularly relevant at a time when there are contrasting views on technological advancements: those who are concerned about issues such as privacy breaches and racial bias in technology, and those who see new technological developments as solutions to complex global challenges.
The scholar’s presentation will provide the audience with insight into the world of biased tools, altruistic algorithms, and their implications, equipping them with the tools to interpret technological forecasts using historical and sociological perspectives.
In her writings on her website, Benjamin poses important questions about how to approach health and well-being without simply relying on technological solutions, which may serve to widen existing social disparities. She questions how advancements in life sciences can be made without reinforcing outdated notions of race, gender, and disability.
Benjamin’s impressive credentials include being the founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, as well as a faculty associate at prestigious programs at Princeton University. She has authored numerous papers and four books, including “Imagination: A Manifesto,” “Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want,” and “Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code.”
The lecture is made possible through the support of various entities, including the Harrington School of Communication and Media, Center for Computational Research, and several colleges and departments at the University of Rhode Island.
With such an esteemed speaker and an engaging topic, Dr. Benjamin’s lecture promises to offer valuable insights into the complex relationship between technology and society, making it an event not to be missed.
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