Keynote Dr Ruha Benjamin: WHO OWNS THE FUTURE? From Artificial Intelligence to Abundant Imagination

In this talk, Ruha Benjamin takes us into the liberating power of the imagination. Deadly systems shaped by white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism emerged from the human imagination, and have real-world, often deadly impacts. To fight oppressive systems and create a world in which everyone can thrive, we will have to imagine things differently. Drawing on work that critically examines tech-mediated inequities, what she terms the New Jim Code, and her engagement with grassroots approaches to viral justice, she offers a pragmatic and poetic approach to worldbuilding that invites each of us to consider the role we play in maintaining or transforming the oppressive status quo.

• Dr Ruha Benjamin (Princeton University & Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab)