arXiv subjects

Christina N. Harrington

Publications and source records attributed to Christina N. Harrington.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Shaping the Future of Generative AI for Black Communities: A Frame Analysis of Public Discourse and Empirical Scholarly Research

As generative AI (genAI) systems become embedded in education, employment, healthcare, and creative industries, the impact and engagement among marginalized groups have become both a widespread discourse and a focus in scholarly research. As a starting point, we examine public discourse and empirical research to explore the impact of genAI systems on Black communities. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 91 empirical papers alongside a media discourse frame analysis of 28 public resources, applying Entman's framing theory to map how each corpus defines problems, attributes causes, and proposes treatments. Our SLR reveals that scholarly research concentrates heavily on technical bias detection, reducing Blackness to measurable variables rather than engaging with cultural practices, structural conditions, or Black knowledge systems. Our frame analysis reveals that public discourse attributes genAI-related harm to historical and systemic forces, while scholarly research stops its causal accounts at the dataset and its treatment recommendations at technical reform. We demonstrate that this misalignment is structurally produced: anti-Blackness operates simultaneously across both registers, generating a shared evacuation of Black epistemic agency. We argue for frame analysis as an AI ethics methodology capable of surfacing what technical evaluation forecloses.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

"For Us By Us": Intentionally Designing Technology for Lived Black Experiences

HCI research to date has only scratched the surface of the unique approaches racially minoritized communities take to building, designing, and using technology systems. While there has been an increase in understanding how people across racial groups create community across different platforms, there is still a lack of studies that explicitly center on how Black technologists design with and for their own communities. In this paper, we present findings from a series of semi-structured interviews with Black technologists who have used, created, or curated resources to support lived Black experiences. From their experiences, we find a multifaceted approach to design as a means of survival, to stay connected, for cultural significance, and to bask in celebratory joy. Further, we provide considerations that emphasize the need for centering lived Black experiences in design and share approaches that can empower the broader research community to conduct further inquiries into design focused on those in the margins.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

The Fall of an Algorithm: Characterizing the Dynamics Toward Abandonment

As more algorithmic systems have come under scrutiny for their potential to inflict societal harms, an increasing number of organizations that hold power over harmful algorithms have chosen (or were required under the law) to abandon them. While social movements and calls to abandon harmful algorithms have emerged across application domains, little academic attention has been paid to studying abandonment as a means to mitigate algorithmic harms. In this paper, we take a first step towards conceptualizing "algorithm abandonment" as an organization's decision to stop designing, developing, or using an algorithmic system due to its (potential) harms. We conduct a thematic analysis of real-world cases of algorithm abandonment to characterize the dynamics leading to this outcome. Our analysis of 40 cases reveals that campaigns to abandon an algorithm follow a common process of six iterative phases: discovery, diagnosis, dissemination, dialogue, decision, and death, which we term the "6 D's of abandonment". In addition, we highlight key factors that facilitate (or prohibit) abandonment, which include characteristics of both the technical and social systems that the algorithm is embedded within. We discuss implications for several stakeholders, including proprietors and technologists who have the power to influence an algorithm's (dis)continued use, FAccT researchers, and policymakers.

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arXiv2021

Taking Stock of the Present and Future of Smart Technologies for Older Adults and Caregivers

Technology has the opportunity to assist older adults as they age in place, coordinate caregiving resources, and meet unmet needs through access to resources. Currently, older adults use consumer technologies to support everyday life, however these technologies are not always accessible or as useful as they can be. Indeed, industry has attempted to create smart home technologies with older adults as a target user group, however these solutions are often more focused on the technical aspects and are short lived. In this paper, we advocate for older adults being involved in the design process - from initial ideation to product development to deployment. We encourage federally funded researchers and industry to create compensated, diverse older adult advisory boards to address stereotypes about aging while ensuring their needs are considered. We envision artificial intelligence systems that augment resources instead of replacing them - especially in under-resourced communities. Older adults rely on their caregiver networks and community organizations for social, emotional, and physical support; thus, AI should be used to coordinate resources better and lower the burden of connecting with these resources. Although sociotechnical smart systems can help identify needs of older adults, the lack of affordable research infrastructure and translation of findings into consumer technology perpetuates inequities in designing for diverse older adults. In addition, there is a disconnect between the creation of smart sensing systems and creating understandable, actionable data for older adults and caregivers to utilize. We ultimately advocate for a well-coordinated research effort across the United States that connects older adults, caregivers, community organizations, and researchers together to catalyze innovative and practical research for all stakeholders.

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