Language, Power, and Technology

Catalog description

All technology involves language in some way. Whether it’s for processing human language or a coding language developed to write functions that a computer can process. Whether it’s language output from a Generative AI model or the labels assigned to the data to train image recognition software. It all involves language. And with each step comes the social biases that get passed on through language, biases about languages or language varieties, and even the biases embedded in the language we use. In this course, we will develop a way of critically engaging with technology and bias in pursuit of fair and responsible technology. We ask, how is technology talked about? Who influences that? Whose language does technology work better or worse for? What impacts does that have? How is technology developed? And how might different social and language systems in that development lead to different impacts?