Anchorage Public Library has partnered with Science Friday to bring the Sci Fri Book Club to the science and reading enthusiasts in our community. The SciFri Book Club is a program created by Science Friday to bring people together around all things science reading – anything from sci-fi short stories to nonfiction science books to science articles from various publications to science-y poetry!
There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, join our community space, attend an event, or send a message on the SciFri VoxPop app.
This September, the SciFri Book Club will read Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines by Dr. Joy Buolamwini. In this unique memoir, Dr. Joy lifts the veil on algorithms influencing our world as well as the biases baked into the software by prejudiced humans. Weaving together her stories as a researcher and activist while breaking down complex topics, she reveals the ways in which artificial intelligence systems and facial recognition sometimes let down marginalized groups and people of color. This book goes beyond what needs fixing and highlights the efforts being made to improve the technology and build algorithmic justice. Dr. Joy’s work is reflective, timely, and illuminating as she asks us to consider: Who is this technology actually built for?
Unmasking AI brings together a range of topics, including artificial intelligence, technology, digital equity, and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season.
Get the Ebook or audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library. You can also get a copy from your local bookstore.
This Book Club season kicks off Monday, September 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- September 1-7: Introduction and Part I: Idealistic Immigrant (Chapters 1-4)
- September 8-14: Part II: Curious Critic (Chapters 5-8)
- September 15-21: Part III: Rising Researcher (Chapters 9-12)
- September 22-28: Part IV: Intrepid Poet (Chapters 13-18)
- September 29-30: Part V: Just Human (Chapters 19-Epilogue)
Plus, we’ll be hosting events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Book Club newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can purchase a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Join the SciFri Book Club community forum here.
Book Club Meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
Unmasking AI
Thursday, September 25
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Unmasking AI. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about artificial intelligence, technology, digital equity, facial recognition, software, and more.
Upcoming Selections
- October: Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations by Sam Kean.
- November: Why We Die: the New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality by Venki Ramakrishnan.
- December: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion by Sean Carroll.
