DeCarlos Love has been named CEO of Thrive AI Health, a new AI health startup funded by OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global. Writing for TIME, Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, and Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post and Thrive Global, explained that Thrive AI Health will offer a hyper-personalized AI health coach. Thrive AI Health Thrive AI Health aims to build AI-powered assistant tech to democratize access to expert-level health coaching to improve health outcomes. The startup will use generative AI to hyper-personalize and scale behavior change
Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled plans to establish research centers for emerging technologies across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, aimed to build a technology research ecosystem. Fostering Innovation and Development Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA, announced the initiative at the IoT West Africa Conference held in Lagos. Represented by Aristotle Onumo, NITDA’s Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Inuwa emphasized that the new research centers align with the agency’s mission to support technological
AI and satellite imagery are being used to fight spatial apartheid in South Africa, exposing stark inequalities and driving systemic change. According to MIT Technology Review, Raesetje Sefala, a 28-year-old researcher from Limpopo, South Africa, is at the forefront of using AI and satellite imagery to combat spatial apartheid. Growing up in a township, Sefala witnessed firsthand the disparities between Black townships and affluent white neighborhoods. Now, she’s using cutting-edge technology to address these injustices. Unearthing Spatial Inequities In collaboration with computer scientists Nyalleng Moorosi and Timnit Gebru at the
The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced an investment to enhance diversity and inclusion within the artificial intelligence (AI) research community. The NSF has allocated $10 million in grants to seven innovative projects in collaboration with the Departments of Homeland Security, Agriculture, Defense, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These initiatives aim to strengthen AI research and education at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A Diverse AI Research Community The new round of ExpandAI awards is a strategic move to cultivate a
Morgan Freeman recently addressed a viral TikTok video that misused his voice using artificial intelligence (AI). The video, which garnered significant attention, was created by a user named “Justine’s Camera Roll” and was later reshared on X (formerly known as Twitter) by “JahelisWasHere.” With 16.5 million views, the video falsely appeared to feature Freeman narrating a vacation clip. Freeman, however, took to X to clarify that he had no involvement and labeled the video a “scam.” Viral AI Video Sparks Controversy The controversial TikTok video starts with what seems to
TestParty, a Black-led, AI-driven software compliance company, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Harlem Capital and the Urban Innovation Fund. Founded in March 2023 by Michael Bervell and Jason Tan, TestParty helps businesses automatically rewrite source code to comply with global digital accessibility regulations. Making websites more accessible Currently, nearly all popular websites fail to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), leaving millions of people who rely on assistive devices unable to engage with the digital world. TestParty aims to bridge this gap by
MoviePass, a Black-owned movie-theater subscription service, has received an equity investment from Forecast Labs, a consumer venture group owned by Comcast. As first reported by Variety, this investment will help MoviePass attract new customers through targeted TV ads using Comcast’s media reach. The financial details were not disclosed. The company was recently the subject of the HBO series “MoviePass, MovieCrash.” The Rise, Fall, And Rise of MoviePass Launched in 2011 by Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt, MoviePass allowed subscribers to buy one movie ticket daily for a monthly fee. Despite
The Google for Startups Founders Fund is back for the fifth year and is funding 20 Black and Latine AI companies in the US. The fund first launched as part of Google’s $175 million commitment towards racial equity and to date has deployed more than $50 million dollars to more than 570 Black and Latine founders around the world. Google For Startups Founders Fund & AI As AI developments are on the rise, this year, Google has funded 20 US-based companies that are pushing the boundaries in AI. The companies
Morehouse College is launching what is reportedly the world’s first fully spacial AI teaching assistants (TAs). After launching their Metaversity in 2021, Morehouse is taking the next step in technology-based learning. AI Teaching Assistants Muhsinah Morris, a senior assistant professor in education and metaversity director at Morehouse, pioneered the technology in Spring 2021 with faculty assistance. She will now teach a class this fall with a spatial 3D AI TA. Students can expect to receive support from the AI TAs, who will manage assessments and office hours, ensure 24/7 access,
Record labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records are suing AI song-generators Suno and Udio for ‘mass copyright infringement’. The lawsuits allege that the music startups are exploiting the works of artists including Chuck Berry, Billie Holiday, and Michael Jackson. What Does Suno And Udio Do? Suno and Udio have garnered attention over the last few months for their music-generation capabilities. The platforms allow users to create complete songs using a single-word prompt, and most recently, they added new updates enabling you to upload your audio
