More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech

When tech perpetrates inequality, it’s not just a glitch—it’s a signal to redesign systems to address unjust discrimination. “Glitch” implies an incidental error. But what if racism, sexism, and ableism aren’t just bugs in the technological systems? What if they’re coded into the system? Author Meredith Broussard, a data scientist and one of the few Black female researchers in AI, demonstrates that neutrality in tech is a myth and algorithms need accountability.

Broussard synthesizes computer science and sociology, exploring examples like facial recognition trained only on lighter skin tones, mortgage-approval algorithms that encourage discriminatory lending, and dangerous feedback loops in medical diagnostic algorithms. Even with good intentions, fallible humans can develop programs with devastating consequences.