Mar Hicks: "We Belong"

Stayin' Alive in Tech

Mar Hicks, Associate Professor of History at Illinois Institute of Technology, drops in to talk about the history of technology and how algorithmic bias has evolved over the years. They discuss topics from how women were purposefully excluded from the tech industry to how transgender algorithmic bias began in the 70’s. Mar shares insights about bias in tech that you have probably experienced but might have only given a passing thought. Mar tells an anecdote about one of the earliest examples of institutionally trans algorithmic bias by the British government in the early 70’s. This episode is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Mar’s Book: Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing
• Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, by Ariel Levy
• Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor, by Virginia Eubanks
• Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, by Meredith Broussard
• Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, by Safiya Umoja Nobles

MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS EPISODE ON SPOTIFY:

"We Belong" by Pat Benatar

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Stayin' Alive in Tech is an oral history of Silicon Valley and technology. Melinda Byerley, the host, is a 20-year veteran of Silicon Valley and the founder of Timeshare CMO, a digital marketing intelligence firm, based in San Francisco.

We really appreciate your reviews, shares on social media, and your recommendations for future guests. And check out our Spotify playlist for all the songs we refer to on our show.