Whether you call that is reverse, megaverse, or multiverse, our future selves will inevitably live in a mixed world of real and virtual experiences unlike anything we know today. And that future will be built on a foundation of untraceable code.
As much as I like to believe the code is infallible and unbiased, it can’t. Coders are people, and for the past 40 years those people have been mostly white men. Even today, 65 percent of computer programmers is white (non-Hispanic) and a non-profit group Code girls reported that only 22 percent of computer programmers identify as female.
The idea that a small part of humanity has and will create social platforms and work for the rest of humanity unless more people are involved is alarming. If you think that’s not your problem, think again. “Bias in artificial intelligence algorithms affects everyone from creators to citizens, so the need for diversity is urgent”, explains Pat Yongpraditacademic director at Code.org.
Plus, do we want more than we have now, given the major social media companies’ problems around privacy, misinformation, and manipulation? “Future generations will do things with technology that we can only imagine. Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black girl code.
The good news is that many apps and services, both nonprofit and for-profit, are working to inspire all kids to love computer science and build diversity in the context of what’s to come. out.
Non-profit organizations
Increasing student participation in computer science from underrepresented groups is written in Code.org’s mission statement. The nonprofit is the largest provider of free programming, lesson plans, teacher training, and programming environments in schools.
Code.org is unique because it focuses on systematic change from the federal government to the state and local levels. Its annual computer science education report provides up-to-date information on computer science education policy, including policy trends, maps, state summaries, and implementation data.
In 2013, the group debuted very successfully Hour code, a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, begins with hours-long coding activities. Today, Hour of Code reaches tens of millions of students in more than 180 countries.
Kids can try out free coding projects through the Code.org website. If your school does not offer a computer science education, can you help through donations, volunteering, reaching out to your school, and promoting computer science in your area.
Kimberly Bryant, an electrical engineer by trade, founded Black Girls Code (BGC) in 2010 after noticing several students of color in the coding and robotics workshops that her high school-age daughter loved. “I wanted to give my daughter the opportunity to learn these tangible skills, but also to build her confidence and leadership abilities in a safe space where she could be herself,” says Bryant.
