Spotify has launched a pilot of Voice Translation for podcasts, using OpenAI technology to translate podcasts into other languages in the original podcaster’s voice. While making English-language podcasts more accessible to global audiences, there are concerns about the growing use of AI translation and voice generation technologies. Voice Translation Spotify announced they are piloting a new feature that translates English-spoken episodes into other languages, such as Spanish, French, and German. The feature is powered by OpenAI’s voice generation technology to clone the original podcaster’s voice. Spotify stated it would match
This Hispanic Heritage Month, POCIT spoke with Marcos Navas, the CEO of Latinos in Coding, about his work to empower Latinx communities in tech and make coding more accessible. By 2045, the minorities of the US will make up the majority of the workforce, with the Latinx community playing a pivotal role in this shift. Despite making up 17% of the workforce, Latinx people currently account for only 8% of workers in STEM. Coding is the language of the modern world, Navas argues, with the COVID-19 pandemic shedding light on
A coalition of 65 UK politicians and 31 leading race equality and human rights organizations have called for an “immediate stop” to live facial recognition (LFR) surveillance. The campaign, led by privacy advocate Big Brother Watch, calls for the police and private companies to stop using the technology in public spaces. Signatories include former Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti and Liberal Democrat party leader Sir Ed Davey. Amnesty International, Institute of Race Relations, Liberty, Race Equality Foundation, and Human Rights Watch also joined the campaign. Accessing Passport Database The call
Following complaints, YouTube has restricted a popular channel that posted videos calling for the ‘elimination’ of Black men by terminating pregnancies. YouTube stopped monetizing YouTube influencer Cynthia G’s channel and removed one video calling for Black male abortions for violating the platform’s hate speech policy. However, other videos with similar content remain, renewing scrutiny over the platform’s content moderation policies. Who Is Cynthia G? YouTube influencer Cynthia G joined the platform in July 2016, describing her channel as a place to start the conversation on reforming Black women. “This is
Atlassian has agreed to acquire video communication platform Loom for $975 million. The acquisition will ramp up Loom’s asynchronous video collaboration tools to tap into the demand fueled by the adoption of hybrid work. The journey to unicorn status Loom is an asynchronous (async) video messaging tool that helps users communicate through instantly shareable videos. Founded by Vinay Hiremath, Shahid Khan, and Joe Thomas in 2015 in San Francisco, CA, it boasts 25 million users in 1.8 million workplaces. The platform became increasingly popular during the pandemic, with a $1.53
The PGA Tour, the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, posted AI-generated headshots of their players on Instagram. While the white players appeared against gray neutral backdrops, the players of color appeared against “rugged” and delipidated backdrops, reigniting concerns over racial bias. What Happened? The PGA Tour released 12 images of players on Instagram, with the caption: “We asked AI to expand our player’s headshots… Here’s what happened.” The photos included 10 white players and 2 players of color, Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa. Finau is of Tongan
Research from Extend Ventures revealed that only 0.24% of funding went to Black founders in the UK in the last decade. Additionally, a report conducted by Cornerstone VC also found that only 1% of founders who receive seed funding identify as Black and only 3% of VC-funded founders identify as Black. To celebrate and amplify Black founders in UK tech this Black History Month, we have compiled a list of resources and funds available. Black Seed Black Seed is a community-led by Black founders, for Black founders, based in Brixton,
Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, is spearheading Apple’s commitment to making all its products carbon-neutral by 2030, starting with the Apple Watch. Jackson, a chemical engineer, served as the first African American US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator before joining Apple in 2013. Meet Lisa Jackson Jackson completed a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University. Before Apple, Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama as EPA Administrator in 2009, making her the
Northwestern Mutual, a financial services organization, has announced this year’s fall cohort of five Black-owned tech startups to its Black Founder Accelerator program for the third year. Now in its third year, the accelerator is one of the core components of Northwestern Mutual’s Sustained Action for Racial Equity (SARE) initiative. SARE was created to advance bold, sustainable change that accelerates the company’s commitment to fight racism, prejudice, and social injustice, focusing on the Black and African American community. The Black Founder Accelerator The accelerator invests in up to 10 companies
Industry Link is a unique self-funded initiative to unite New York’s young Black professionals working across tech, media, entertainment, and aligned industries. Created by young Black professionals for young Black professionals, the platform offers a series of free private mixers in New York City. The events are dedicated to breaking down the cliques, kicking back, showing off your latest fits, and catching up with old and new friends across industries at different venues around the city. “This is the place to find the next person who’s gonna put you on, and
