An eleven-foot Robocop statue stands prominently in Eastern Market. A defense contractor headquarters is moving to the riverfront. A drone conference is scheduled to take place on land, in the air and on the water. A large billboard and an annual conference signal Palantir’s investment into Detroit as “America’s Future,” a billion dollar renovated “train” station and technology campus is building a drone highway, and the World Economic Forum has its eyes on the city as a potential location for its global Davos summit.

What does this trajectory mean for the future of a predominantly Black city which has led the country in misidentification cases by law enforcement using facial recognition, has had a median household income hovering under $40,000, and has more than 50% of its youth living in poverty?

Dr. Chris Gilliard and Tawana Petty will interrogate these questions and more.

Privacy@Michigan events are co-sponsored by the University of Michigan School of Information and Information and Technology Services Privacy Office.