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Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future
`Mum, I want a robot slave.’
Broadcaster Tracey Spicer had an epiphany when her young son uttered these six words.
Suddenly, her life’s work fighting inequality seemed futile. What’s the point in agitating to change the present, if bigotry is being embedded into our futures?
And so began a quest to uncover who was responsible and hold them to account.
Who is the ultimate villain? Big Tech, whose titans refuse to spend money to fix the problem? The world’s politicians, who lack the will to legislate? Or should we all be walking into a hall of mirrors and taking a good, hard look at ourselves…?
This is a deeply researched, illuminating and gripping ride into an uncertain future, culminating in a resounding call to action that will shake the tech sector to its foundations.
Broadcaster Tracey Spicer had an epiphany when her young son uttered these six words.
Suddenly, her life’s work fighting inequality seemed futile. What’s the point in agitating to change the present, if bigotry is being embedded into our futures?
And so began a quest to uncover who was responsible and hold them to account.
Who is the ultimate villain? Big Tech, whose titans refuse to spend money to fix the problem? The world’s politicians, who lack the will to legislate? Or should we all be walking into a hall of mirrors and taking a good, hard look at ourselves…?
This is a deeply researched, illuminating and gripping ride into an uncertain future, culminating in a resounding call to action that will shake the tech sector to its foundations.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2023
55 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Spicer
2 books9 followersTracey Spicer AM is a multiple Walkley Award winning author, journalist and broadcaster who has anchored national programs for ABC TV and radio, Network Ten and Sky News.
The inaugural national convenor of Women in Media, Tracey is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers and emcees in Australia. In 2019 she was named the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year, accepted the Sydney Peace Prize alongside Tarana Burke for the Me Too movement, and won the national award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership through Women & Leadership Australia.
In 2018, Tracey was chosen as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence, winning the Social Enterprise and Not-For-Profit category. For her 30 years of media and charity work, Tracey has been awarded the Order of Australia.
Highlights of her outstanding career include writing, producing and presenting documentaries on women and girls in Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and India. She is an Ambassador for ActionAid, the Ethnic Business Awards and Purple Our World, and Patron of the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.
Her first book, The Good Girl Stripped Bare, became a bestseller within weeks of publication, while her TEDx Talk, The Lady Stripped Bare, has attracted almost seven million views worldwide. Tracey’s essays have appeared in dozens of books including Women of Letters, She’s Having a Laugh, Father Figures, Unbreakable, and Bewitched & Bedevilled: Women Write the Gillard Years.
The ABC highlighted Tracey’s #metoo work in the three part documentary series Silent No More, which featured the stories of hidden survivors. Her new book, Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future, was published by Simon & Schuster in May 2023.
The inaugural national convenor of Women in Media, Tracey is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers and emcees in Australia. In 2019 she was named the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year, accepted the Sydney Peace Prize alongside Tarana Burke for the Me Too movement, and won the national award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership through Women & Leadership Australia.
In 2018, Tracey was chosen as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence, winning the Social Enterprise and Not-For-Profit category. For her 30 years of media and charity work, Tracey has been awarded the Order of Australia.
Highlights of her outstanding career include writing, producing and presenting documentaries on women and girls in Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and India. She is an Ambassador for ActionAid, the Ethnic Business Awards and Purple Our World, and Patron of the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.
Her first book, The Good Girl Stripped Bare, became a bestseller within weeks of publication, while her TEDx Talk, The Lady Stripped Bare, has attracted almost seven million views worldwide. Tracey’s essays have appeared in dozens of books including Women of Letters, She’s Having a Laugh, Father Figures, Unbreakable, and Bewitched & Bedevilled: Women Write the Gillard Years.
The ABC highlighted Tracey’s #metoo work in the three part documentary series Silent No More, which featured the stories of hidden survivors. Her new book, Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future, was published by Simon & Schuster in May 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 11, 2023
Though useful and justified in its outrage, I found the writing style difficult, and oddly condescending. About half the book was Tracey’s own exclamations and interjections, and explanations on simple concepts that didn’t better explain anything. Her quotations of other books also at time seem like she just wanted to put it in, whether or not it added anything. It really read like a high school essay to me…
July 22, 2025
Thought-provoking, well-researched and accessible exploration of transformative technological shift with artificial intelligence.
Written by Walkley Award-winning Australian journalist Tracey Spicer, this is terrifying and illuminating.
Written by Walkley Award-winning Australian journalist Tracey Spicer, this is terrifying and illuminating.
June 14, 2023
To most Australians, Tracey Spicer is one of the most iconic journalists and broadcasters of the last 30 years. Listening to the audiobook, it was a genuine pleasure to hear her voice again and witness her sense of humour as she laughs along in incredulity - and sometimes at her own jokes (it’s ok Tracey - I laugh at my own jokes too 😅)
Tracey guides us through a complex and timely deep dive into the rapid technological advances we are currently witnessing and the misogynistic and racial data biases being overlooked in favour of profit and “progress”. The depths of these biases is truly frightening, and the potential impacts on our future if they are not corrected could be catastrophic.
Man-Made was interesting, informative, and a must read for anyone who has ever watched a Black Mirror episode and wondered how far off a scenario like it could really be. Educating ourselves on the pitfalls of AI now, while it is in its early stages, is essential if we are to push for inclusive changes to be made.
Tracey guides us through a complex and timely deep dive into the rapid technological advances we are currently witnessing and the misogynistic and racial data biases being overlooked in favour of profit and “progress”. The depths of these biases is truly frightening, and the potential impacts on our future if they are not corrected could be catastrophic.
Man-Made was interesting, informative, and a must read for anyone who has ever watched a Black Mirror episode and wondered how far off a scenario like it could really be. Educating ourselves on the pitfalls of AI now, while it is in its early stages, is essential if we are to push for inclusive changes to be made.
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February 9, 2024some bits of this were interesting and some of it was the most millennial writing ever
Read
April 8, 2024This is an easy read about a complex topic. Tracey Spicer consults a range of people to find out about directions in technology, and how we have got to this point, and presents it all in accessible chunks with pithy titles and observations. Throughout it all she looks at the implications for women in particular, and for marginalised groups, of technology continuing apace without consideration of the human elements that both shape it and become shaped by it.
Spicer quotes Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez more than once, and I suspect this work was a strong influence. Both authors approach questions of how we better consider the use of technology through a strong feminist framework, and with an eye to social justice they argue that we must actively work to make development of technology more equitable, and regulate its use to ensure we don’t perpetuate historical biases.
Spicer quotes Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez more than once, and I suspect this work was a strong influence. Both authors approach questions of how we better consider the use of technology through a strong feminist framework, and with an eye to social justice they argue that we must actively work to make development of technology more equitable, and regulate its use to ensure we don’t perpetuate historical biases.
dnf
May 17, 2025i wanted this to be invisible women meets filterworld. it very much is not. tough read if you’re looking for actual data and analysis, fine if you want buzzfeed-style reporting on feminism. dnf
June 3, 2023
This was an excellent wrap up of various technologies that we are currently experiencing in our work and life. The disconcerting factor in all of them is the data bias inherent in them against females, people of colour and other races as well as minority groups. The author presents at the end a dystopic and utopia view of these but overall, it’s the former…..world doesn’t have the economic and societal systems working together for utopia.
Video review can be found here:
https://youtu.be/xeHkp5TxgSM
I need to digest what I read and overcome this feeling of “what’s the point of doing anything if there’s no future?” We can do something - we can make smarter choices in what we buy, question where the data came from and self educate on AI and it’s impact and global implications.
I also love that the author put in a disclaimer about how the book cover image was generated using AI called MidJourney. I’d love to see more of this - where it’s called out - what’s human and what’s bot generated.
Video review can be found here:
https://youtu.be/xeHkp5TxgSM
I need to digest what I read and overcome this feeling of “what’s the point of doing anything if there’s no future?” We can do something - we can make smarter choices in what we buy, question where the data came from and self educate on AI and it’s impact and global implications.
I also love that the author put in a disclaimer about how the book cover image was generated using AI called MidJourney. I’d love to see more of this - where it’s called out - what’s human and what’s bot generated.
July 10, 2023
This is a highly readable, accessible and frightening look at the world of AI we are hurtling toward at breakneck speed without most of us even realising what this could mean for the future of humanity.
Tracey Spicer’s thoroughly researched book is a cautionary tale of how the bias of the past is informing this future where the same old gender bias, racism, ageism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia etc etc is inbuilt into these systems because the datasets being used don’t take into account people who are not white and male. This is alarming but not surprising. An important and inspiring book written with warmth and humour.
Tracey Spicer’s thoroughly researched book is a cautionary tale of how the bias of the past is informing this future where the same old gender bias, racism, ageism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia etc etc is inbuilt into these systems because the datasets being used don’t take into account people who are not white and male. This is alarming but not surprising. An important and inspiring book written with warmth and humour.
June 15, 2023
A must read for the current times. How do we ensure voice activated machines recognise people’s diverse accents and speech of people with certain disabilities… How is the diverse community represented as all the new AI (augmented technology) developments progress so that we create create equity of access. We can all play a role in the development of man-made technologies to create a positive impact for all. An important book.
July 2, 2023
AI is an important topic (and AI ethics especially so these days).
There are many good books to read on the topic. This is not one of them.
The writing is breathless and repetitive. There are many technical errors.
I would recommend reading someone like Kate Crawford, Cathy O'Neil or Shoshana Zuboff, authors who understand what they're writing about and bring fresh ideas and analysis to the table.
There are many good books to read on the topic. This is not one of them.
The writing is breathless and repetitive. There are many technical errors.
I would recommend reading someone like Kate Crawford, Cathy O'Neil or Shoshana Zuboff, authors who understand what they're writing about and bring fresh ideas and analysis to the table.
March 5, 2024
DNF @ 15%.
Not exactly what I thought it was going to be about, so I’m going to give it a miss.
Not exactly what I thought it was going to be about, so I’m going to give it a miss.
July 10, 2024
There were parts I loved; the inclusiveness, the pitchforks, and the overall idea behind the book. I'd say this was aimed at older people as some of the explanations were unnecessary. The content was a lot of doomsday stuff, but something to think about. Just found it to be quite jumpy and a little hard to follow, also there were huge chunks of quotes here and there, which I thought was a no-no? At the end, some parts were interesting and I have found myself taking about it to people, it's just long and feels like parts were either too fleshed out or not enough.
October 7, 2024
Spicer writes a comprehensive account of some of the challenges we face with the rapid development of AI, but she manages to convey the complexity of the topic without overloading the reader with jargon and information beyond the understanding of the everyday.
July 21, 2023
An excellent overview of the AI technologies that are driving our lives and transforming practically every sector and industry. This book particularly looks at how flawed data perpetuates inequities in this world, especially for women, people with disability, and for people of colour. Also, how the work of marginalised groups are made invisible through the systems that exist. It's simple to read, accessible, funny at times, and always engaging. It's a call for regulated, just, ethical and informed AI and machine learning that can actually improve the world for all. I've already started making decisions differently in my life because of this book. A must-read for all.
May 12, 2023
This book is remarkable for its accessibility, humour, insight, and deep research and I would highly recommend adding it to your “must read” book list of 2023.
November 22, 2023
2.5 rounded up, and that's being generous
This book was recommended to me by a friend so i had high expectations going into a topic that was extremely relevant and interesting. Unfortunately it is was a big let down, both in regards to content and writing style.
First of all I feel like she didn’t actually add anything new or of value to the discourse on bias in AI, but maybe I’m just not the right target audience. There was a lot of repetition, and the way the chapters were organised by theme felt a bit strange with some drawn out for much longer than necessary, while other points that deserved thorough analysis were just touched on for a few sentences.
There were a lot of stories and claims that didn’t seem deeply researched and the short list of references at the end of the book supported this. I can’t recall any specific examples and I am certainly not going to reread to find them, but i distinctly remember some flat out incorrect statements i think to do with something medical, which just made me take the whole thing less seriously.
Where to start with the writing style and tone…… the anger that came through at times was incredibly jarring and as another reviewer has mentioned some explanations felt almost condescending. A lot of sarcasm and strange interjections that only added to the word count (crikey!). Fun fact: you don’t need to quote 1984 all the time. The quotes actually made me laugh out loud sometimes because of how out of place they were. This is also made the voice seem quite immature and lacking self-awareness - it was giving first draft year 10 English essay “as the teens would say”. I assume Spicer’s intention was to make it friendly and accessible but it was just really annoying and got in the way of some potentially really interesting points.
The best and most compelling parts didn’t go for longer than a few paragraphs at a time and were mostly ideas from other people she was paraphrasing or quoting. I regret spending money on this and wish I had borrowed it from the library instead.
This book was recommended to me by a friend so i had high expectations going into a topic that was extremely relevant and interesting. Unfortunately it is was a big let down, both in regards to content and writing style.
First of all I feel like she didn’t actually add anything new or of value to the discourse on bias in AI, but maybe I’m just not the right target audience. There was a lot of repetition, and the way the chapters were organised by theme felt a bit strange with some drawn out for much longer than necessary, while other points that deserved thorough analysis were just touched on for a few sentences.
There were a lot of stories and claims that didn’t seem deeply researched and the short list of references at the end of the book supported this. I can’t recall any specific examples and I am certainly not going to reread to find them, but i distinctly remember some flat out incorrect statements i think to do with something medical, which just made me take the whole thing less seriously.
Where to start with the writing style and tone…… the anger that came through at times was incredibly jarring and as another reviewer has mentioned some explanations felt almost condescending. A lot of sarcasm and strange interjections that only added to the word count (crikey!). Fun fact: you don’t need to quote 1984 all the time. The quotes actually made me laugh out loud sometimes because of how out of place they were. This is also made the voice seem quite immature and lacking self-awareness - it was giving first draft year 10 English essay “as the teens would say”. I assume Spicer’s intention was to make it friendly and accessible but it was just really annoying and got in the way of some potentially really interesting points.
The best and most compelling parts didn’t go for longer than a few paragraphs at a time and were mostly ideas from other people she was paraphrasing or quoting. I regret spending money on this and wish I had borrowed it from the library instead.
December 21, 2024
If you’ve never considered the gender and racial biases of new technology and AI please give this a read. AI has been a hot topic at several work conferences in the last few months due to its potential impact on my sector. So when I saw this new release I thought I’d check out another perspective. Tracey Spicer is a journalist and does a fantastic job at disseminating the plethora of information on AI issues into concise, layman’s terms. But if you’ve been keeping up to date with the tech world, a lot of what she has to say won’t be new to you. However, she still managed to evoke the feminist rage in me, which suggests that what she has to say needs to be heard. Spicer interviewed a few people I’ve encountered in recent years through webinars and conferences on STEM and information technology. It was great to hear those individuals thoughts on the topic as well. Definitely worth the read, or if you don’t want to read the whole thing, at least pick up the last chapter. It will get you thinking differently about the tech you use every day.
July 9, 2023
With each chapter, Spicer manages to remain angry at the cis white men in power behind the growth of AI - to which, I’m incredibly here for.
It’s a lesson to remind us who was really behind (and continues to be) the evolution of AI - women, POC and those in minority groups. Their intelligence undervalued today and throughout history then capitalised by the men in the board rooms.
It’s a lesson to remind us who was really behind (and continues to be) the evolution of AI - women, POC and those in minority groups. Their intelligence undervalued today and throughout history then capitalised by the men in the board rooms.
July 3, 2023
Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future by Tracey Spicer is a MUST-read book.
It’s hard to organise my thoughts on this, as there’s so much useful information, I guess I’ll do my usual I'll mention a few things that come into my head.
Like it or not, there’s no escaping AI. It’s already being used extensively, it’s going to take over almost every aspect of our lives.
Spicer did a great job not going all alarmist (others may disagree) but also pointing out the many benefits. For instance, it’s said that AI can mitigate about 5-10% of adverse effects of climate change. But, (there’s always a but), AI has a huge footprint itself.
AI is bringing the 5th Industrial Revolution upon us. As with every revolution, there are winners and losers. If we are not being careful – and based on what I’ve been reading and the podcasts I’ve been listening to, we are not careful at all – we are going to be in trouble. And guess the people most affected in a negative way? Ding, ding, you’ve guessed it, it’s women. If you are a woman and a person of colour, then you’re doubly impacted. If you’re a woman, a person of colour and forty-plus – congratulations, you “win” the best loser. Infuriating.
In case you don’t know, artificial intelligence learns from and is based on existing patterns and big data. And when the data is incomplete or biased you’ve got “trash in, trash out” and the exponential amplification of the wrong. Given the pre-existing and ongoing bias and prejudice – thanks, Patriarchy! – it doesn’t take a genius to see how the bias in science and AI is a big problem, well, for those negatively affected, which are “only” 50+% of the population. When you take into account that the majority of Tech people are white men - you get the idea.
Spicer gives plenty of examples in many fields, from medicine to human resources and hiring, to facial recognition and the many issues associated with it besides the privacy aspect, and even sex robots.
The conundrum – how to change the machines when they become our carers, feeders and shoppers and even company.
Tech dudes tend to create stuff to get ahead of others because it’s all about profits they don't care about consequences. Unfortunately, governments are slow to act and even slower to legislate, and when they’re in the pockets of big business …
We have to ensure the AI future is humanistic, collaborative and intersectional. We need to train people in AI. We need a Human-Made AI.
I could write so much, about this book, but I’m short on time, so I’ll encourage you to read it. It can be overwhelming and infuriating but I’d rather be informed than ignorant.
NB: the cover was created using Midjourney, an AI image generator.
It’s hard to organise my thoughts on this, as there’s so much useful information, I guess I’ll do my usual I'll mention a few things that come into my head.
Like it or not, there’s no escaping AI. It’s already being used extensively, it’s going to take over almost every aspect of our lives.
Spicer did a great job not going all alarmist (others may disagree) but also pointing out the many benefits. For instance, it’s said that AI can mitigate about 5-10% of adverse effects of climate change. But, (there’s always a but), AI has a huge footprint itself.
AI is bringing the 5th Industrial Revolution upon us. As with every revolution, there are winners and losers. If we are not being careful – and based on what I’ve been reading and the podcasts I’ve been listening to, we are not careful at all – we are going to be in trouble. And guess the people most affected in a negative way? Ding, ding, you’ve guessed it, it’s women. If you are a woman and a person of colour, then you’re doubly impacted. If you’re a woman, a person of colour and forty-plus – congratulations, you “win” the best loser. Infuriating.
In case you don’t know, artificial intelligence learns from and is based on existing patterns and big data. And when the data is incomplete or biased you’ve got “trash in, trash out” and the exponential amplification of the wrong. Given the pre-existing and ongoing bias and prejudice – thanks, Patriarchy! – it doesn’t take a genius to see how the bias in science and AI is a big problem, well, for those negatively affected, which are “only” 50+% of the population. When you take into account that the majority of Tech people are white men - you get the idea.
Spicer gives plenty of examples in many fields, from medicine to human resources and hiring, to facial recognition and the many issues associated with it besides the privacy aspect, and even sex robots.
The conundrum – how to change the machines when they become our carers, feeders and shoppers and even company.
Tech dudes tend to create stuff to get ahead of others because it’s all about profits they don't care about consequences. Unfortunately, governments are slow to act and even slower to legislate, and when they’re in the pockets of big business …
We have to ensure the AI future is humanistic, collaborative and intersectional. We need to train people in AI. We need a Human-Made AI.
I could write so much, about this book, but I’m short on time, so I’ll encourage you to read it. It can be overwhelming and infuriating but I’d rather be informed than ignorant.
NB: the cover was created using Midjourney, an AI image generator.
September 1, 2023
This work touches on an incredibly interesting and very relevant premise, but it doesn't do it in a particularly compelling way.
The book scatterguns slivers of information in chapters grouped under broad themes (military, environment, etc). There are points that deserved expansion beyond the 1-3 paragraphs given to them before the author moved on to the next nugget of information. The effect is a lack of depth, and the tone at times coming across as breathless. This is the same trap that Toby Walsh's similarly themed Machines Behaving Badly fell into.
Speaking of tone - the tone taken by the author made the book at times difficult to follow. The overly snarky/familiar writing style didn't really fit the subject matter. It was a distraction. If it was intended on making the writing more accessible or down to Earth, it didn't really hit the mark.
Finally, there are a number of minor factual inaccuracies throughout the book. For example, the author refers to Roe v Wade as "legislation", when it is not. The author also refers to Fortnite as a first person shooter, when it is not. Things like that don't ruin the book at all, but it does make me doubt how accurate and well researched the rest of the author's claims are.
I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars here, which I suppose makes it 2.5 stars by definition.
The book scatterguns slivers of information in chapters grouped under broad themes (military, environment, etc). There are points that deserved expansion beyond the 1-3 paragraphs given to them before the author moved on to the next nugget of information. The effect is a lack of depth, and the tone at times coming across as breathless. This is the same trap that Toby Walsh's similarly themed Machines Behaving Badly fell into.
Speaking of tone - the tone taken by the author made the book at times difficult to follow. The overly snarky/familiar writing style didn't really fit the subject matter. It was a distraction. If it was intended on making the writing more accessible or down to Earth, it didn't really hit the mark.
Finally, there are a number of minor factual inaccuracies throughout the book. For example, the author refers to Roe v Wade as "legislation", when it is not. The author also refers to Fortnite as a first person shooter, when it is not. Things like that don't ruin the book at all, but it does make me doubt how accurate and well researched the rest of the author's claims are.
I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars here, which I suppose makes it 2.5 stars by definition.
January 22, 2024
Spicer introduces a difficult and often not discussed issue in layman's terms throughout her book, which is clearly created for the average person as she breaks down more complex topics and thoroughly explains the acronyms she uses, no assumed knowledge here! Which is great. I thought she created a very compelling argument filled with sassy remarks and quips that allow you to take a break from the heaviness and density of the topic. I was dissapointed however with how much 'recycled' content she includes, and less could have made this book a 5 star. She often quotes Caroline Perez' book Invisible Women which I read before this book and there were whole pages that just re-examined and re-explained what Perez has already concluded which was dissapointing. It feels stale and I believe Spicer could have instead focused on something similar but equally unique and allowed readers to get the knowledge from Perez' book directly instead of 'recycling' the content. Overall, the book was extremely engaging and easy to read with alot of calls to action that I found inspiring. 3.8 out of 5 stars.
May 5, 2023
If you've ever worried about the future of artificial intelligence - beyond what little we know of the still-fledgling but already powerful and potentially sinister ChatGPT - Man-Made is absolutely compulsory reading. With deep insight and sharp humour, Tracey Spicer delves into the beginnings, and the present, of AI; and explores how the future of unstoppable 'machine learning' is inherently and dangerously flawed - because it is perpetuating the biases already built into it. (Spoiler alert: Because of the way AI is being 'layered', it is essentially 'male' in concept and voice.) The genie is well and truly out of the bottle - but can the cork be put back, at least some of the way, so the tech boffins, hand in hand with governments, can try to address the anti-female biases that are currently spiralling out of control? While the book puts the frighteners into the reader, Spicer's informative yet funny commentary provides hope that, with some collective will, the biases already in AI can still be repaired before it's too late.
September 5, 2023
My view on AI, has certainly changed. I never thought about how there could be a bias in creating AI.
Man-Made begins on going back to when women were inventors in computers and maths. How their contributions were hidden behind men, who received the glory. Jump forward to read how AI has grown and where it is being used today and where it will go in the future.
We read about the creation of AI and how it can have a bias view. What is the reason for this, how it can be a negative for women, children, people of colour, LGBQTI+ and the disabled people. There are many examples, interviews with people in the field etc.
Man-Made is a well researched book, has humour sprinkled with it's text, which one needs after reading some of the negatives of AI. But for a balance there is positives of AI, one just needs to make sure from the beginning that someone is checking.
Overall Man-Made, is an eye opener, I learnt a lot, a must read if you want to learn more about AI, Bias and Ethics.
Man-Made begins on going back to when women were inventors in computers and maths. How their contributions were hidden behind men, who received the glory. Jump forward to read how AI has grown and where it is being used today and where it will go in the future.
We read about the creation of AI and how it can have a bias view. What is the reason for this, how it can be a negative for women, children, people of colour, LGBQTI+ and the disabled people. There are many examples, interviews with people in the field etc.
Man-Made is a well researched book, has humour sprinkled with it's text, which one needs after reading some of the negatives of AI. But for a balance there is positives of AI, one just needs to make sure from the beginning that someone is checking.
Overall Man-Made, is an eye opener, I learnt a lot, a must read if you want to learn more about AI, Bias and Ethics.
November 18, 2023
Tracey Spicer has written an interesting book about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its modelling is built on data sets that are inherently sexist and racist. Sold as a panacea to the worlds ills, there is a very real possibility that AI will perpetuate many of them.
Tracey looks at lots of fascinating (and scary) elements that lead to big problems in AI. My issue with the books was that it felt like Traceey was fairly unwilling to acknowledge her own biases as she was pointing out others. Salient points were undermined by Tracey's willingness to to read a pessimistic take on other areas, where a more generous spirit could find a very different understanding.
A good book to read when thinking about bias, as long as one is willing to apply that same critical thinking to this book also.
Tracey looks at lots of fascinating (and scary) elements that lead to big problems in AI. My issue with the books was that it felt like Traceey was fairly unwilling to acknowledge her own biases as she was pointing out others. Salient points were undermined by Tracey's willingness to to read a pessimistic take on other areas, where a more generous spirit could find a very different understanding.
A good book to read when thinking about bias, as long as one is willing to apply that same critical thinking to this book also.
September 22, 2023
Unclear where to start here: easily one of the worst books I've read in the last year.
Does AI/tech have a bias problem where it's encoding current or historical systems of oppression into "the future"? Yes. Does this book add any value to the current debate? No.
Spicer repackages a bunch of information and data (that she isn't an expert in or even the original interviewer for) for the worse. In between every second sentence of snarky remarks (her language, not even mine), there's a fact and then an extrapolation or interconnection without much basis for said conclusion.
Would strongly not recommend and even detailing more reasons as to why would only add to time lost from having read this.
Does AI/tech have a bias problem where it's encoding current or historical systems of oppression into "the future"? Yes. Does this book add any value to the current debate? No.
Spicer repackages a bunch of information and data (that she isn't an expert in or even the original interviewer for) for the worse. In between every second sentence of snarky remarks (her language, not even mine), there's a fact and then an extrapolation or interconnection without much basis for said conclusion.
Would strongly not recommend and even detailing more reasons as to why would only add to time lost from having read this.
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December 17, 2023This book just...wasn't really for me.
I think this was a beginner's guide to technology issues, and aimed at people who have a lot less knowledge than I do. I'm not giving it a rating because I don't think that's fair, and I am sure it is a good book for people who want to learn what is going on. But it just wasn't for me.
It's also very much like... idk a reporters brief touch on many things, instead of a reasearchers focus on one thing, which is just, again, good for people who want to know things, but just wasn't for me.
I think it would be a great present to maybe give to an older person in your life who has some concerns, but not a lot of knowledge about the issues with technology.
I think this was a beginner's guide to technology issues, and aimed at people who have a lot less knowledge than I do. I'm not giving it a rating because I don't think that's fair, and I am sure it is a good book for people who want to learn what is going on. But it just wasn't for me.
It's also very much like... idk a reporters brief touch on many things, instead of a reasearchers focus on one thing, which is just, again, good for people who want to know things, but just wasn't for me.
I think it would be a great present to maybe give to an older person in your life who has some concerns, but not a lot of knowledge about the issues with technology.
August 26, 2025
Tracey Spicer is clearly passionate about the topic of AI and the negative impacts modern technology can and do have on women and marginalised groups.
But unfortunately, it’s so clear to me that this is a book written by someone who is just learning about the topics they’re writing on. Which can work, if done deftly. Unfortunately, the lack of structure made it feel more amateurish than like a co-exploration.
I agree almost entirely with most of the core arguments in this book, but found myself wading through messy structure and hyperbole far too much.
By no means is this a bad book: I think perhaps older readers would find it more beneficial and enlightening. As a Gen Z, so-called digital native who isn’t new to the AI debate, it didn’t entirely work.
But unfortunately, it’s so clear to me that this is a book written by someone who is just learning about the topics they’re writing on. Which can work, if done deftly. Unfortunately, the lack of structure made it feel more amateurish than like a co-exploration.
I agree almost entirely with most of the core arguments in this book, but found myself wading through messy structure and hyperbole far too much.
By no means is this a bad book: I think perhaps older readers would find it more beneficial and enlightening. As a Gen Z, so-called digital native who isn’t new to the AI debate, it didn’t entirely work.
August 28, 2023
2.5 stars. This book raised important and interesting issues but I personally hated the tone in which it was written, particularly the first few chapters. As a leftie feminist myself I agreed with almost everything the author was saying but the overly didactic and informal style rubbed me the wrong way. It was obviously a deliberate choice to avoid being too stuffy and academic but didn't work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2023
If only this book, and others based on understanding AI, got as much attention and coverage as the launch of ChatGPT did.
Well researched, and unapologetically opinionated, Tracey Spicer takes us through the pitfalls, and frankly immensely frightening, emergence of AI. Her message is a call to action to educate ourselves on how AI is being designed and used and to push for change.
Well researched, and unapologetically opinionated, Tracey Spicer takes us through the pitfalls, and frankly immensely frightening, emergence of AI. Her message is a call to action to educate ourselves on how AI is being designed and used and to push for change.
September 1, 2023
Thought provoking, but the writing style was a bit jarring - still, I think there’s plenty to think about and there are concrete steps to act that anyone can apply so I’d still recommend it to everyone.
Builds on things like Broad Band and Invisible Women so I’d highly recommend reading those first.
Builds on things like Broad Band and Invisible Women so I’d highly recommend reading those first.
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