Race After Technology

Race After Technology explores how ostensibly neutral technologies—from algorithms to facial recognition to predictive policing—systematically encode racial bias and reproduce historical inequalities. Ruha Benjamin argues that technology is not inherently liberatory but rather reflects and amplifies the prejudices of its designers and institutions. The book examines case studies across criminal justice, healthcare, hiring, and social media to demonstrate how "the New Jim Code" operates through technological systems.

Benjamin proposes an abolitionist approach to technology, calling for critical consciousness about how innovation serves power structures. She emphasizes the need for diverse voices in tech design and for communities most affected by algorithmic harm to have agency in shaping technological futures. The work has become foundational in technology ethics and critical race theory discourse, influencing policy discussions and academic curricula around algorithmic justice.