Home

Internet, powerful tool of exclusion

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Technology specifically, Artificial Intelligence on the internet has a way of not recognising black people in its recognition algorithms.

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala says the facial recognition mechanism on Air BnB couldn’t match his face to his Identity Document when setting up an account on the online accommodation service recently.

Watch video below:


Marwala was speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, during a debate about racism in the digital age.

Though people feel the need to be recognised by these technological tools, they are also used against them as tools of exclusion.

American housing lawyer and activist, Rasheedah Phillips says in Philadelphia,US, data is used to exclude black women from the housing system.

Watch video below:

Because technology is developed by humans, it is agreed that it will be mostly influenced by the bias of those who develop the technology.

Professor Malwadza says the most important thing going forward is to strengthen the development of ArtificiaI Intelligence(AI) ethics.

 

Author

MOST READ