Despite the controversy surrounding its facial recognition software, Clearview A.I. has found a new home amongst public defenders. The move, described as a “P.R. stunt to try to push back against the negative publicity,” has begun allowing public defenders to access its facial recognition database, which holds more than 20 billion facial images. The controversy explained Earlier this year, the controversial facial recognition program found itself amid legal drama after being fined more than £7.5 million by the U.K.’s privacy watchdog. The fine came after a few senators called on federal agencies
Since its launch in 2021, Stackwell Capital has worked hard to eliminate the racial wealth gap, and the launch of its new Robo-investing app is a testament to this. The app which has launched yesterday and is currently available for download in the App Store. The program, intentionally designed for the Black community, has given users endless opportunities to enhance their knowledge of the financial market. New data has revealed that white households hold eight times more wealth than Black households. Additionally, only 34% of Black households invest in the stock compared to white
Five years after the disastrous Hurricane Maria, another destructive storm has hit civilians living in Puerto Rico, exposing the vulnerability of the island’s electricity system. Hurricane Fiona, which first struck Puerto Rico on Sept 18, has already caused severe damage to the island’s economic development. According to the Washington Post, President Biden agreed to issue a major disaster declaration earlier this week. The storm brought an average of 10 to 16 inches of rain across Puerto Rico, killing four people. Since Sunday, 1.5 million people living and working in Puerto Rico
Justine Skye is expanding her business endeavors, and we are very much here for it. The musician, known for sporting some of the sleekest tresses in the business, has partnered with Black-owned artificial intelligence wig brand Parfait. Parfait, founded by Isoken Igbinedio, is an AI and facial recognition-powered beauty technology that has created a community where beauty and tech co-exist. According to its founders, Parfait was founded to solve two problems: AI biases in tech and the fragmented wig buying process for millions of Black and brown women. “It was
“Done is better than perfect” is Tanya Sam’s mantra. Real Housewives of Atlanta star Tanya Sam has said goodbye to reality TV and hello to the tech world. Since leaving reality television in 2020, Sam has worked to become a key figure in female entrepreneurship, particularly within the tech space. Prior to her transition into the tech industry, Sam was a nurse working in oncology and hematology before she first appeared on the hit Bravo series. “I was a registered nurse for 10 years,” Sam previously explained in an interview with Page
Elijah Muhammad Jr has officially made history as the youngest Black college student in Oklahoma after enrolling in three courses at Oklahoma City Community College as a freshman. According to KFOR News, Muhammed Jr. isn’t the only person in his family beating records. His older sister, Shania Muhammad, also made history this year as the youngest to graduate from college with two associate degrees from Langston University and Oklahoma City College. Elijah Muhammad Sr, the siblings’ father, revealed that Muhammed used his sister’s success to help motivate him to excel further in his
Brazil-based startup, Gen-t, is an organization at the forefront of medical evolution. The startup, founded by Lygia da Veiga Pereira in 2021, is a company built on advancing science and medical technology. Gen-t’s mission is to diversify global genomic data to help fasten medical breakthroughs and make novel discoveries based on different phenotypes. Despite being new, the organization has managed to raise $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Eduardo Mufarej. “The field keeps saying that we need diversity, but most of the diversity in the world is in countries with
San Francisco-based communications company, Twilio, has announced that they will be cutting 11% workforce to help restructure the company after a period of rapid expansion. In a memo to employees, Twilio CEO, Jeff Lawson, clarified that all staff cuts will be made through an “Anti-Racist” and “Anti-Oppression” lens which took many by surprise. Despite right-wing publications such as Daily Caller, describing the move as “race-based,” Lawson’s actions come at a very critical time for POC workers who more times than not, are forced to suffer the brunt of staff layoffs and redundancies.
As Africa’s tech ecosystem grows, the demand for talent is soaring. For young Africans, digital skills have become ever-more important and attractive. In 2021, according to the Africa Developer Ecosystem Report (pdf), Africa’s developer community grew by 3.8%, bringing the total number of developers on the continent to 716,000. The average local developer in Africa is seven years younger than their global counterpart and has up to three years of experience. The pandemic drove increased adoption of remote work around the world, leading to international companies recruiting African developers at
Disney’s latest live-action remake, The Little Mermaid, has been engulfed in controversy ever since the casting of singer Halle Bailey was announced. The film’s trailer has been flooded with 1.5 million dislikes from angry “fans” – despite YouTube removing the dislike counter, the numbers are still available through an extension. During a recent appearance at the D23 Expo, Bailey herself reacted to the release of the clip and called the moment “surreal.” “I’m so excited about this film,” she said. “You know being here today is so surreal. I definitely