Automating Inequality: Tech, Profiling, and Punishing the Poor - Essay Sample

Introduction

In modern times, human beings have made their lives better by implementing advanced technology in their daily activities. While the use of technology is aimed at making lives better, one cannot help but notice some of its harmful effects. In her book, "Automating Inequality: How high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor," Virginia Eubanks shows the severe impacts of automated decision-making tools in social service provision in the United States. The essay will examine and analyze Eubanks' work to show the effects of automated decision making in social services to ensure consideration before implementing new technology.

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Eubanks see the decision to use computerized tools in public service as a measure to punish and police poor people. The author has previously worked in movements concerning community technology and economic justice (Breyman et al., 2016). The book also contributes to her fight in ensuring social and economic justice. "Automated Inequality" takes her work a notch higher by conducting interviews with service staff and victims of automated decision making to reveal injustice to the poor by the adopted systems (Eubanks, 2018).

Main Arguments

Policymakers and researchers argue that modern technology is crucial in delivering better services to the poor. However, Eubanks says that it is not the case, and it only worsens the situation. The high-tech tools involved in social services have more negative effects compared to the non-tech nineteenth-century poor houses. The models are designed to reduce the number of people benefiting from social welfares to make sure only those who deserve help benefit. In the end, some of the people who need aid are denied. People who make minor errors in their applications are denied assistance. Eubanks further her argument by portraying instances where poor people were denied help because of the use of technology to evaluate and track poor people. Also, the author argues that peoples' attitude towards the poor causes them to make decisions that make the poor in society to suffer. If the poor were respected, models that collect certain information about the poor could not be adopted (Eubanks, 2018). Eubanks also say that the rich and the middle class cannot be asked to provide certain information.

Source of Data

Eubanks back up her claim by providing data from her interviews with people affected by the tools and social service staff. The author narrates a case in Pittsburgh. Patrick was investigated by Pittsburgh child welfare for medical neglect when he could not afford to buy antibiotic prescriptions for his daughter. Also, Eubanks narrates about a six-year-old girl from Indiana. The girl received a letter stating that her Medicaid benefits would be stopped in less than a month since she had failed to cooperate. Her parents had made a paperwork error, and the automated system concluded that she was not eligible. Many people lost vital assistance because of such mistakes (Eubanks, 2018).

The author shows how the use of technology in social services has adverse effects on the poor. The different cases support her argument about the adoption of modern technology in public services (Eubanks, 2018). Through conducting interviews with the affected people and social workers, the author was able to collect more authentic information. Also, she paints a clear picture of victims of the high-tech tools to the readers. The author also connects with the poor people while researching on the different cases and her observations enable one to understand the depth of the problem.

Technology and its Social Implications

While technological advancement has made life better in many ways, there are certain instances where modern technology has brought more harm than good. Eubanks shows how technology is used to deny justice to the poor in public services. One, therefore, learns that technology has harmed poor people. People do not consider if the model will affect peoples' lives (Eubanks, 2018). Some people even deny needy opportunities by creating dummy accounts for personal benefits. However, since the models are made and run by people, the developers can ensure the models will help the poor and dispose of them if they do not. Technology can, therefore, be used negatively to mistreat people in society.

Technological Determinism

In her analysis, the author adopts technological determinism. Technological determinism involves understanding how technology affects human actions and thoughts. Also, the perspective assumes that technology in society is the primary determinant of social structure and cultural values. Technological changes are the primary cause of change in the community (Drew, 2016). In the book, Eubanks shows how modern technology has been used to mistreat the poor in American society. Models and surveillance have been designed to collect information from disadvantaged people, data that could be easily misused. Also, needy people have been denied aid due to minor problems when the models are used. Furthermore, she showed social inequality as a result of technology. Eubanks' analysis, therefore, conforms with the technological determinism (Eubanks, 2018).

Contribution to Communication

"Automating Inequality" contributes a lot to the broader field of communication. The book outlines the misuse of information and communication technology tools to collect data from the poor and mistreat them. Some models used produce racially biased information. Hence the data from these models are not accurate. The book also shows the need for human beings to manage all stages of communication and discourages the use of models and software without people in connection. People also need to the decision-makers, since the automated-decision making tools cannot be relied on to provide factual information. The book exposes that the belief by many members of the public that high tech tools better the lives of the poor. However, the tools make the lives of the poor people worse, and the public has, therefore, been misinformed.

Discussion Questions

• To understand the major themes in the book, one would need to answer several questions. Such questions are:
• Do you think automated decision-making tools only affect the poor? Why and why not?
• Are there any positive effects of automated decision systems? What are they?
• What are your thoughts about how technology affects the poor?
• Do you think collecting the data from the poor is a significant problem? What can be done against surveillance and collecting data from poor people?
• What tools can be used to ensure justice for the poor in society?
• Share some of your personal experiences about injustice if you have ever been unfairly treated. What can we do to deal with unfairness in our society?

Conclusion

While most people believe that high-tech model adopted is improving the lives of the poor, this is not the case. Technology is being used to police and punish the poor. "Automating Inequality" clearly proves this point. Through conducting interviews, Eubanks illustrates how the poor are suffering under high-tech tools.

Moreover, the book shows how modern technology can have adverse effects on the members of society. The author also adopts tech determinism perspective for her analysis. The book also contributes to the field of communication. It is very depressing when technology destroys the lives of members of the society, and something should be done to deal with the adverse effects of high-tech tools on the poor.

Reference

Breyman, S., Campbell, N., Eubanks, V., & Kinchy, A. (2016). 10 STS and Social Movements: Pasts and Futures. The handbook of science and technology studies, 289.

Drew, R. (2016). Technological determinism. A Companion to Popular Culture, 167, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118883341#page=171

Eubanks, V. (2018). Automating inequality: How high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor. St. Martin's Press.