Super Short Summary

In Automating Inequality, Virginia Eubanks examines how automated systems in U.S. public assistance programs perpetuate longstanding punitive approaches to managing poverty. Through case studies of welfare eligibility in Indiana, coordinated housing in Los Angeles, and child abuse risk modeling in Pennsylvania, Eubanks reveals the discriminatory impacts of algorithmic decision-making on marginalized communities, arguing that these technologies often exacerbate inequality rather than mitigate it. Note: The book discusses systemic racial profiling, segregation, and discrimination.