# The Fight for Civil Rights in the Age of AI

> Source: <https://techpolicy.press/the-fight-for-civil-rights-in-the-age-of-ai>
> Published: 2026-05-24 13:00:00+00:00

On Tuesday, May 12, the [Center for Civil Rights and Technology](https://civilrights.org/value/center-civil-rights-technology/) hosted its 2026 annual convening, "All Eyes on Tech: Power, Protection, and the Fights for Civil Rights in the Age of AI," at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The Center is a joint project of [The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights](https://civilrights.org/) and [The Leadership Conference Education Fund](https://civilrights.org/edfund/), and it engages in advocacy, education, and research on issues at the intersection of civil rights and technology policy.

During the event, Tech Policy Press editor **Justin Hendrix** hosted a conversation with **Dr. Ruha Benjamin**, an acclaimed author, professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, and founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab; and **Alejandra Montoya-Boyer**, vice president of the Center for Civil Rights and Technology. The conversation touched on the necessity of cultural and narrative work as the foundation for policy work; how to build collective power and alternatives, not just guardrails; and why it is important to focus on the people behind technology and their motivations, not just technology itself.