New Books in Critical Theory Anita Say Chan, "Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future" (U California Press, 2025)
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Mar 25, 2025 Anita Say Chan, an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, dives deep into the connection between eugenics and today's big tech, highlighting how past discriminatory practices impact current data collection and surveillance. She discusses the historical roots of data profiling and its discriminatory effects on marginalized groups. The conversation also touches on Hull House's influence on labor rights and the limitations of AI in capturing the richness of human communication. Chan emphasizes the need for alternative data practices rooted in social justice.
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Eugenics and Data Science Origins
- Data science methods, like statistical regression, originated in eugenics.
- Francis Galton developed these methods based on racial anxieties and the belief that diverse populations would lead to societal decline.
Futurama Showcase and Efficiency
- The 1939 World's Fair Futurama exhibit, commissioned by General Motors, showcased driverless cars and planned suburban communities.
- This exhibit promoted the idea of maximizing efficiency by removing "inefficient drag", a concept rooted in eugenics.
Modern Surveillance and Eugenics
- Modern surveillance and datafication practices mirror early 20th-century eugenics.
- Profiling, predictive models, and discriminatory tools used by tech companies today echo historical attempts to categorize and control populations.