Researchers are improving detection algorithms to make them fairer and more accurate by incorporating greater demographic diversity, according to The Conversation. Deepfakes, synthetic media in which a person’s likeness is replaced with someone else’s without consent, are rapidly advancing. From realistic representations of celebrities in compromising situations to false statements by political leaders, technology poses a significant threat to trust and truth in digital media. As these manipulations become harder to detect, the want to develop tools to disprove them grows. Bias in Detection Algorithms Typically, deepfake detection systems rely
Intuit is hiring on POCIT. Petagae Butcher is a versatile force in the tech world, currently working as a Staff Technical Program Manager at Intuit. Her introduction to technology started with a love of Super Nintendo in the 90s. She later graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Management Information Systems, initially majoring in Computer Programming, finding her niche bridging the technology and business worlds. Over her 18-year career, she’s garnered a wealth of experience, from software consulting to her current role at Intuit. Born on
At 14 years old, Naya Ellis of New Orleans has turned her passion for science into a potentially life-saving invention: a stroke-detecting watch called WingItt. Inspired by her personal family experiences and participation in STEM NOLA, Ellis’ invention has earned her the title of champion in the National STEM Challenge. Developing WingItt: A Life-Saving Technology Ellis’s journey began in the STEM NOLA program, which provides an eight-month-long science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fellowship to high-potential, low-income high school students of color. Initially interested in developing a seizure-detecting device, she shifted her
American Screening, a drug and medical testing supplies distributor in Louisana, has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a race discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The case centered around Imani Jackson, a Black employee who was fired after she decided to wear her natural hair to work. Fired over her wearing natural hair Imani Jackson’s daily routine involved spending 45 minutes each morning concealing her natural hair under a cap and gluing on a wig with straight hair. This routine wasn’t just time-consuming; it
Camelback Ventures has announced Shawna Young’s appointment as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), starting in early April 2024. Camelback Ventures Camelback Ventures is a New Orleans-based nonprofit social venture fellowship that aims to increase access to opportunity for entrepreneurs of color and women. Founded by Aaron T. Walker in 2015, Camelback Ventures has supported over 133 undervalued entrepreneurs with social impact ventures around the country. Its business model involves providing its Fellows with the “friends and family” stage of funding. The Fellows then reinvest in Camelback through grants or convertible notes. Meet
Cornell Tech and the City University of New York (CUNY) are facing a lawsuit filed by Justin Gaffney Samuels, over alleged illegal discrimination in the admissions policy of their Break Through Tech program. The Break Through Tech Program This initiative, aimed at boosting careers in technology for women and non-binary undergraduate students, is now under legal scrutiny for potentially discriminating against men. “As a Black man with a deep interest in technology, I was particularly interested in the opportunities offered by the Break Through Tech programs,” Samuels wrote in the official complaint. “However, upon reviewing the program’s
Black Girls Code has partnered with RiseUp with ServiceNow to launch a three-year initiative redefining career paths within New York City’s workforce. The collaboration was highlighted in a panel discussion featuring Cristina Jones, CEO of Black Girls Code, and Selina Suarez, Global Head of NextGen at ServiceNow. RiseUp with ServiceNow represents a global talent movement to train one million individuals on the ServiceNow Platform. The primary focus is to uncover untapped talent in NYC, paving the way for professional and career development opportunities. Building the next generation of tech leaders Black Girls Code is partnering with ServiceNow to help
The type of advice AI chatbots give people varies based on whether they have Black-sounding names, researchers at Stanford Law School have found. The researchers discovered that chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google AI’s PaLM-2 showed biases based on race and gender when giving advice in a range of scenarios. Chatbots: Biased Advisors? The study “What’s in a Name?” revealed that AI chatbots give less favorable advice to people with names that are typically associated with Black people or women compared to their counterparts. This bias spans across various scenarios such as job
Serena Williams, a legendary tennis champion, is making her mark in the tech investment world with her venture capital fund, Serena Ventures. Serena Ventures Following her retirement in September 2022, Williams has focused on the investment sector. With over 14 years of investment experience, she established Serena Ventures in 2014, a venture capital fund to empower women and underrepresented founders. This strategic move was born from Williams’ observation of the glaring lack of venture capital flowing toward specific demographics. As highlighted on its website, her venture proudly supports a diverse array of
Meta’s AI-powered image generator has recently been scrutinized for its difficulty in generating images of interracial couples and friends. Meta’s AI Fails To Generate Interracial Couples The AI tool, introduced in December, revealed its shortcomings when CNN tested its ability to create pictures of people from different racial backgrounds. The requests for images of interracial relationships consistently resulted in the AI producing images of same-race couples or friends, contradicting the diversity seen in real-world relationships. For instance, a request for a Black woman with a white husband yielded images of Black couples. This pattern was broken
