Critical and Normative Dimensions

A number of colleagues have generously read and commented on drafts at different stages of this project. These include David Theo Goldberg, Aaron Panofsky, Anne Pollock, Dorothy Roberts, Olga Russakovsky, John Steele, Elly Truitt, Janet Vertesi, Keith Wailoo and my dear friend, the late Lee Ann Fuji: I still have an email from October 17, 2016 where she urged me to draw the critical and normative dimensions of my discussion together by writing: “more incisive and trenchant critique of racism in technology and racism by technology is precisely what can lead to technology that can be harnessed to undo, unearth, uncover the racist practices/ attitudes/ beliefs/ structures/ hierarchies in the rest of society. In other words, as you said at your Harry’s Bar talk, racist robots can be used to reflect ourselves back to us more effectively than humans can, precisely because of their machine-ness.” Returning to Lee Ann’s words now as I wrap up, I am reminded of how much her friendship and brilliance have guided me even after she left this earthly plane.