Lit Hub Daily: October 21, 2026
American classrooms are racially segregated, and AI is only making it worse. | Lit Hub Politics Nina Chayka searches for the rarest Nabokov paperbacks in America: “Ardis lives on less through its corporate afterlife and more through the people still.
American public schools remain highly racially segregated, a problem that has persisted for decades despite legal efforts to integrate them. A new report suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) tools used in education may be deepening this divide. AI systems often rely on algorithms that analyze student data, such as test scores or disciplinary records, to make decisions about class placements, special education services, or disciplinary actions. Critics argue that these algorithms can unintentionally reinforce existing biases, particularly if they are trained on historical data that reflects past discriminatory practices. For example, if schools in predominantly white neighborhoods historically receive more resources, an AI system might replicate this pattern by allocating more funding or advanced courses to those schools. The result could be that students of color, who are already more likely to attend underfunded schools, receive fewer opportunities. The report does not specify exact figures on how much AI has worsened segregation, but it highlights concerns that these tools may perpetuate systemic inequities rather than address them.
Nina Chayka, a collector and writer, has spent years searching for some of the rarest editions of Vladimir Nabokov’s works in the United States. Nabokov, a Russian-American novelist best known for *Lolita*, wrote many of his early works in exile, and his first American publisher, *Ardis Publishing*, played a key role in bringing his books to English-speaking audiences. Chayka’s quest focuses on Nabokov’s lesser-known paperback editions, which are highly sought after by collectors due to their scarcity and historical significance. *Ardis Publishing* operated during the 1970s and 1980s, a period when Nabokov’s popularity was growing but his early works were not yet widely available in mainstream bookstores. Today, *Ardis* no longer exists as an independent publisher, having been absorbed into larger corporate entities. Chayka notes that while *Ardis* survives in a limited way through its back catalog and digital presence, its legacy endures primarily through the dedicated community of collectors and scholars who preserve its publications.
