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The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future Hardcover – October 18, 2022

by Orly Lobel (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
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AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2022

At a time when AI and digital platforms are under fire, Orly Lobel, a renowned tech policy scholar, defends technology as a powerful tool we can harness to achieve equality and a better future.

Much has been written about the challenges tech presents to equality and democracy. But we can either criticize big data and automation or steer it to do better. Lobel makes a compelling argument that while we cannot stop technological development, we can direct its course according to our most fundamental values.
 
With provocative insights in every chapter, Lobel masterfully shows that digital technology frequently has a comparative advantage over humans in detecting discrimination, correcting historical exclusions, subverting long-standing stereotypes, and addressing the world’s thorniest problems: climate, poverty, injustice, literacy, accessibility, speech, health, and safety. 
 
Lobel's vivid examples—from labor markets to dating markets—provide powerful evidence for how we can harness technology for good. The book’s incisive analysis and elegant storytelling will change the debate about technology and restore human agency over our values.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    October 18, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6.45 x 1.55 x 9.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1541774752
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1541774759
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A refreshing counterbalance to alarmist commentary...revealing a hidden world of coders, datascientists and activists who are working on the technical means to achieve ethical ends, not simply griping about #ai’s lapses. The book aptly describes the workings of various AI systems, but its main contribution is to reframe problems in constructive ways."

―The Economist

"A masterful analysis…Lobel expertly describes both the opportunities and the discrimination engendered by new technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI)."―Science Magazine

“A timely book on how we can create technologies that fight bias instead of intensifying it. Orly Lobel offers a compelling vision for a digital future that’s fairer to all of us.”―Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“Enthusiastic yet measured argument for technology’s potential to promote equality across many facets of culture and industry.”―Kirkus

“The Equality Machine is essential reading for personal reading lists as well as professional, governmental, community, and academic library Science & Technology collections."―Midwest Book Review

“What if technology could help? Two decades ago, that idea seemed obvious. Today, it seems impossible. But in this beautifully written and wide-ranging work, Orly Lobel shows how a smart architecting of our technical environment can make us better humans, in a healthier environment. This is critical thinking and insight when — and where — we need it most.”―Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard University

“With great computing power comes great responsibility. The Equality Machine shows how we can direct AI for good and create a society in which our lives are not limited by gender, race, sexuality, age, geography, or ability. As always, Orly Lobel gives us a crystal-clear, front-row seat to our evolving digital realities. A must-read!”―Jonah Berger, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and author of The Catalyst and Contagious

“Artificial intelligence in particular and technology in general are changing almost every aspect of the human experience. Can smarter and smarter machines make life better and better—and not just for the few and the privileged, but for everyone? Lobel offers a compelling, inspiring, and actionable argument that the answer is yes.”―Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania, chief scientist, the Character Labor, and author of Grit

“Who should we believe? The glass-half-full people who tell us that AI is going to bring about the next stage of human development, or the glass-half-empty people who tell us that this will be the end of all that is good about humanity? What Lobel shows in The Equality Machine is that the answer is up to us. We can implement AI in ways that deepen our challenges, and we can implement this technology in ways that both fix some of our existing problems and promote our human agenda.”―Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational

“The Equality Machine offers a hard-headed yet hopeful analysis of how digitization and artificial intelligence can reduce discrimination and promote opportunity. By rejecting both utopian dreams and dystopian nightmares, Lobel shows that it’s up to us to enlist these new technologies as forces for good and engines for progressive values. One of our sharpest legal minds has produced an utterly compelling book.”―Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Power of Regret, When, and Drive

“With rich and engaging examples, Lobel brings together the too-often siloed debates over fears and hopes about artificial intelligence. With real, human intelligence, she identifies workable guards against gender and racial biases. She also highlights profound moral, political, and technical challenges worth both immediate and long-term attention.”―Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, dean emeritus, and director, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University

“The Equality Machine is beautifully written, brimming with enthusiasm and can-do spirit. Lobel makes a compelling argument that AI can help solve some of our most important social problems, ranging from discrimination to human trafficking. Deeply aware of technology’s virtues and limits, Lobel offers singular insights for anyone interested in technology for the public interest.”―Frank Pasquale, law professor and author of The Black Box Society

“Most discussions of AI and equality today focus on the negative: how AI systems pose risks of algorithmic bias and discrimination. Without being a tech apologist, Lobel gives us a much-needed dose of the positive: how AI can advance our aspirations for greater equality at work, in healthcare, at home, in our language and imagery, and in our relationships. The Equality Machine will take you on a tour of what people can build when aspiring to use the power of AI to make the world a more equal place. Read it and get inspire to join them.”―Gillian Hadfield, director, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, University of Toronto, and senior policy advisor, OpenAI

“Lobel offers a contrarian and original view: that technology can be a foundation for equality and inclusion rather than a source of bias and inequality. Read this book to find out why and how.”―Oren Etzioni, CEO, Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence

“With this incisive and engaging book, Lobel invites academics, nonprofit leaders, investors, business leaders, and policymakers to use data to solve the world’s most pressing problems, being neither cavalier nor afraid.”―Jonathan Zittrain, faculty director, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University, and author of The Future of the Internet

“Finally, a bold, positive, and forward-thinking approach to the challenges we face with automated technology.”―Kate Darling, MIT Media Lab and author of The New Breed: What Our History with Animals Reveals About Our Future with Robots

“With provocative insights in every chapter, Lobel masterfully shows that digital technology frequently has a comparative advantage over humans in detecting discrimination, correcting historical exclusions, subverting long-standing stereotypes, and addressing the world’s thorniest problems: climate, poverty, injustice, literacy, accessibility, speech, health, and safety.  Lobel's vivid examples—from labor markets to dating markets—provide powerful evidence for how we can harness technology for good. The book’s incisive analysis and elegant storytelling will change the debate about technology and restore human agency over our values.”―American Law Institute

"Lively and fascinating. An exuberant and insightful account of the bright side of AI and related digital technologies. Whether you’re an AI optimist or pessimist, The Equality Machine is essential reading.”―Daniel J. Solove, Professor at George Washington University, author of Breached!, founder of TechPrivacy

About the Author

Orly Lobel is an award-winning author and the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego. She is the Director of the Program of Employment and Labor Law as well as the founding faculty of the Center for Intellectual Property and Markets. She is the author of two previous books, You Don't Own Me: How Mattel Vs. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie's Dark Side, which was reviewed by Jill Lepore in The New Yorker and has been optioned for film, and Talent Wants to Be Free: Why We Should Learn to Love Leaks, Raids, and Free Riding. Lobel's books and work have been written about in The Economist, BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Financial Times, Globe and Mail, NPR's "Marketplace," CNBC, and CNN Money.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs (October 18, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541774752
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541774759
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.45 x 1.55 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

About the author

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Orly Lobel

Orly Lobel

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Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, the founding director of the Center for Employment and Labor Policy (CELP), and the award-winning author several books and numerous articles. She is a prolific speaker, commentators and scholar who travels the world with an impact on policy and industry. A graduate of Tel-Aviv University and Harvard Law School, Lobel clerked on the Israeli Supreme Court and is a member of the American Law Institute. She has recently been named as one of the most cited legal scholars in the country. She has received several grants for her scholarship including most recently a grant from the AI and Humanities Project. Her books You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel v. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side (Norton 2018) - now being developed into a mini-series - and Talent Wants to Be Free: Why We Should Learn to Love Leaks, Raids and Free Riding (Yale University Press 2013), are the recipient of several prestigious awards and have been reviewed in top scholarly and popular media, including The New Yorker, the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. Lobel was invited to Washington DC to present her research on talent mobility at the White House, a meeting which resulted in a presidential call for action. In 2020 she was the keynote speaker and advisor to the Federal Trade Commission on labor market competition policy. She continues to advise to current administration on competition, trade secrecy, and labor policy. Lobel is also a regular consultant to major tech platforms on how ethical digitization. She is a beloved teacher and mentor and has been recognized by her students for as a Woman of Impact and a Woman of Valor. Her new book The Equality Machine: Harnessing Tomorrow’s Technologies for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future is out this Fall with PublicAffairs and has already received raving reviews. She lives in La Jolla California with her husband, three daughters, and an English Labrador named Gili.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
74 global ratings
A must-read book for people interested in our digitalized future
5 Stars
A must-read book for people interested in our digitalized future
This beautifully written book provides precious insights about our digitalized future. Wary of excessive pessimism about digitalization, Lobel offers compelling reasons why we can stay hopeful with automated technology. This is a must-read book that will make your view sharp and clear.
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Top reviews from the United States

Gil Hanoch
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on the topic & additional interesting topics! Such a pleasure to read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
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I am a highly critical reviewer, so when I have something good to say, it means a lot. This book is written so well and taught me so much! It discusses topics where people often focus on one aspect and ignore others, which is counter to the topic of equality. This book is such a refreshing change. It is rare to be able to say this on this topic: I believe that no matter your viewpoint on equality and how to achieve it, you will greatly enjoy this book and benefit from it.

On paper, equality is such a simple topic – give everyone equal treatment, without considering irrelevant information to each decision. Where it gets complex is correcting entrenched inequality and biases. The book gives such thoughtful discussions. It gives an unbiased and optimistic view of technology making life nicer. At the same time, it doesn’t oversimplify the topic – I learned to recognize more aspects of its complexity. While this is a must read for policy makers on all levels, it is also important for everyone to read. After reading this book, I am excited to tackle the topic of inequality, and am highly motivated. I have much better tools to do so, thanks to deeper thinking on the topic. I expect to use what I learned in so many different settings. I am also comfortable talking to anyone about this topic in a way that promotes a constructive discussion.

The writing style is very nice and personable. It turned a tough topic into one that is a pleasure to read about. I give serious thumbs up to this book!

2/4/2024 Update: The book covers such a wide range of topics beyond what the title implies. It gets extra interesting towards the later chapters! Such a nice style of thinking and writing!
One person found this helpful
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RICK S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Optimistic and Smartly Constructive
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2022
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Scholarly presented and supported with relatable examples by an author who is not only an academic, tech savvy, highly educated law professor, but a “real life” wife and working mother. Beginning with the indisputable premise that the tech genie had left the bottle, we are presented with two unacceptable options; one to fear and vilify, the other to succumb with blind embrace. Lobel presents here the delicate third rail; first to recognize the existing contributions of A.I. and second to actively engage it’s progressive potential. Being 64 years old, somewhat intimidated and occasionally fearful of change, I began this book with an anti-A.I. bias. In this book, the author has moved the needle for me closer to what she describes as “becoming cautiously optimistic and smartly constructive about where we are heading.” A great read!
3 people found this helpful
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O. Amir
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening, thought provoking - couldn't put it down!
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2022
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This book covers a range of topics where technological advancements shape our lives. From jobs and employment, through healthcare, to in home care and even sex! Instead of adopting an extreme fear mongering or a naïve acceptance, the book demonstrates the trade-offs and helps show what and how we should be thinking about out evolving world.
This should be interesting to anyone curious about where things are headed, and how might we get there successfully.
Highly recommended!
3 people found this helpful
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niels hammer
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting propositions
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023
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Good book, with interesting propositions. Could be told in a shorter and more concisely format, and thus too long between relevant points and arguments, dragging down the overall rating of the book.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Page Turner
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2022
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Orly is a talented writer, helping pave a brighter future for technology. She sees the potential for growth in an industry perceived by many as doomed. Her vision for change brings much needed hope for all in a world dominated by discrimination, bias, inequality. This book is a must read!
3 people found this helpful
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na
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and intriguing.
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2022
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I enjoyed this book. Lobel provides thoughtful analysis and insights on the potential for AI in cleverly organized chapters that led to potent family conversations in our household - this is a must-read.
2 people found this helpful
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Hagit Cohen-Hamo
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommanded
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2022
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A must buy book. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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A M
3.0 out of 5 stars Some sections are interesting, others are nagging.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023
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In the book's first part, the author suggests how machine learning can reduce the bias against women and minorities. The later chapters are devoted to somewhat nagging femisim. For example, a whole chapter is devoted to complaining about the female voice which is the default option in Alexa and Siri.

Some sections are interesting, others are nagging.
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