Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, recently visited Lagos, Nigeria, as part of his global tour to promote AI adoption and understand diverse perspectives. However, concerns have been raised about the exploitation of Kenyan content moderators and the impact of OpenAI’s technology on marginalized communities. Nigeria: Africa’s biggest OpenAI adopter Over the weekend, Altman took part in a two-day exclusive event at Muson Centre, Lagos, Nigeria. “Nigeria, among all of the countries on the continent, I believe has been the biggest adopter of our technologies,” Technext reports Altman told
Following Rihanna’s iconic Super Bowl LVII halftime performance, anotherblock‘s non-fungible token (NFT) collection of the track sold out in minutes. Now, the Stockholm-based web3 music startup has secured €4 million ($4.3 million) in funding to continue its work of redefining music ownership. Achieving triple platinum status upon its release, BBHMM gained new virality after Rihanna performed the track at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show. Jamil “Deputy” Pierre, a co-producer on Rihanna’s BBHMM, linked up with anotherblock to sell 0.99% of his streaming royalty rights to the song as 300 NFTs
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has recently announced the launch of its second fund under the Opportunity Growth Fund, now rebranded as the Open Opportunity Fund (OOF). The fund aims to raise and invest $150 million in startups led by Black and Latine entrepreneurs. New name, chairman, & access Taking the reins as chairman of the fund is serial entrepreneur and investor Paul Judge, who previously served as a founding investment committee member. Alongside SoftBank and select affiliates, Judge and others have agreed to acquire an ownership stake in the OOF. The
Last night, Beyoncé kicked off the UK leg of Renaissance, her first solo headline tour in seven years. However, human rights groups have raised concerns about the use of live face recognition (LFR) technology on crowds around the Cardiff concert venue. Ahead Beyoncé’s concert in Cardiff last night, South Wales police confirmed that it would be using live facial recognition (LFR) technology to scan crowds around the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It said the cameras would help identify individuals wanted for “priority offenses.” LFR uses AI to compare faces
Buzzfeed Inc (owners of Complex, HuffPost, Tasty, etc) told investors about its plans for AI-generated content. The company also outlined its plans for developing its Black, Asian, Latine identity-based brands to help corporate brands tap an “authentic voice.” BuzzFeed, founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III as an internet popularity contest, has been at the forefront of Internet culture for over a decade. This year, the platform launched its AI-powered content such as games and quizzes, with some success. But it plans to go further. During an investors event held
Leading semiconductor company, Intel, has announced it has reached its goal to increase global annual spending with diverse suppliers to $2 billion eight years ahead of schedule. It has also surpassed its goal of $250 million in spending with Black-owned suppliers by the end of 2023. The rapid evolution of technology, driven by cloud computing, data networks, and smartphones, has transformed industries worldwide. At the core of this digital revolution lies semiconductor technology, powering everything from computers to medical equipment. While the tech industry has come under scrutiny for neglecting its DEI goals
Asian American professionals are more likely to join Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) than their colleagues but feel excluded from workplace DEI initiatives, according to new research by AAPI Data and Momentive. Despite their diverse backgrounds, people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage often encounter similar challenges that hinder their career growth and well-being. To address these concerns, many turn to ERGs as a source of support, connection, and advocacy within their organizations. AAPI Data and Momentive found that 16% of Asian American workers, 18% of Native Hawaiian
As a Black medical student, Malone Mukwende was only taught to recognize clinical signs of disease on white skin. But many diseases look different on darker skin tones, leading to misdiagnosis, poor treatment, and even death. As a result, Mukwende launched BlackandBrownSkin. Through innovative tools like the Mind the Gap handbook, the Hutano app, and, most recently, the “Diagnosing Skin of Colour” digital quiz, Mukwende is revolutionizing care for Black and Brown patients. Red rashes, pale skin, blue lips “On arrival at medical school, I noticed a lack of teaching
When a Discord user leaked unreleased Frank Ocean tracks on Discord, fans on the platform’s music forums clamored to grab hold of the tracks. However, it has since turned out that most, if not all, of the tracks were AI-generated fakes, according Motherboard (part of VICE Media Group). “Everyone started to believe it” Frank Ocean fans have been yearning for fresh material from the elusive singer, whose last full album, “Blonde,” was released in 2016. According to Motherboard a scammer who goes by the handle “mourningassasin” decided to commission a
Shepherd is the “world’s first Bible app that recommends verses based on your needs.” The Bible is the most widely read book in the world, but increasingly, Christians are opting for app-versions over the physical book. As YouVersion’s Bible App reaches the colossal milestone of 100 million downloads—joining major brands like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter—one Black-owned Bible app is growing in popularity. “It’s more like having a daily chat with a good friend, a friend who always knows the best part of the Bible to share with you.” Samuel Abaka-Wood, Shepherd founder Introducing Shepherd Shepherd,
