Democratization and Ethics as Tools of Friction: Promise and Limits for AI Safety

​🔍 Talk Overview

​AI ethics and democratization are widely promoted as mechanisms for mitigating harm and aligning AI with social values. Drawing on a sociological perspective, this talk explores how these forms of sociotechnical friction operate in practice and why uneven protection across social groups can still exist. Dr. Taylor will deliberate whether unaddressed social dominance may stabilize AI deployment despite the presence of tools of friction.

​​​​​💡Speaker Spotlight

Dr. Randon R. Taylor is an internationally recognized sociologist who studies the social impact of AI and emerging technologies. He was an invited panelist at the 2024 World Summit AI in Amsterdam, where he spoke on co-developing AI with the public. His current research explores community or grounded approaches to AI democratization, safety, and ethics.

This talk will be followed by a brief Q&A session with the speaker.

✳️ About BASE

​​​​​​​Black in AI Safety and Ethics (BASE) is a community created to make space for Black people in conversations about artificial intelligence, safety, and social responsibility. BASE encourages learning, mentorship, and collaboration while welcoming everyone who shares the goal of a more thoughtful and inclusive AI future.

​​​​​​​Join us to read, reflect, and learn together.