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AI

Each year, the BBC honors 100 inspiring and influential women from around the globe, celebrating their contributions to society across various fields.  This listicle highlights the women of color in tech who have earned a spot on the BBC 100 Women list this year.  Gabriela Salas Cabrera, Mexico Gabriela Salas Cabrera is a programmer and data scientist whose work bridges technology and cultural preservation. When her mother tongue, Náhuatl, was missing from Google Translate, Salas took action. Collaborating with the tech giant, she helped integrate Náhuatl and other indigenous Mexican

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) is making history as the first university in North Carolina to offer a standalone undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence (AI).  Approved by the UNC System Board of Governors, this Bachelor of Science program will be available at the nation’s largest historically Black university and the leading producer of Black engineering graduates, starting in fall 2025. Meeting Workforce Demands NC A&T’s program aims to meet the demand of increasing AI use by equipping students with expertise in advanced AI systems and applied

Canadian rapper Drake has filed a pre-action petition in New York State court against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify USA Inc., accusing the music giants of artificially boosting the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s song, Not Like Us.  According to Drake, the alleged scheme was part of a strategy to amplify Lamar’s track at his expense. Claims of Artificial Inflation Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, asserts that UMG employed bots and discounted licensing rates to mislead listeners about the song’s popularity.  Released in May 2024, Not Like Us broke

Dave Clark, a generative AI filmmaker, has co-founded Promise, a new Los Angeles-based entertainment studio which integrates generative AI into film and TV production. Promise recently secured seed funding from Peter Chernin’s North Road Company and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The exact amount of funding has not been disclosed. Integrating GenAI Into The Production Process Clark, whose genAI short film Battalion explored the experiences of the only Black unit to storm Omaha Beach during D-Day, will operate as Promise’s chief creative officer. Alongside Clark are co-founders are industry veterans George Strompolos

Recently, REVOLT, a prominent Black-owned multimedia company, announced the launch of Black Shift.  Developed by its creative agency, Six Zeros, Black Shift is an AI-powered research platform designed to help brands better understand and engage with Gen Z, particularly within the Black community.  This initiative dives into the aspirations, values, and behaviors shaping one of the most culturally influential generations. A Data-Driven Approach to Understanding Gen Z Black Shift combines over 500 hours of interviews with insights from 700 Gen Z participants across the US. Using personalized AI tools, the

Joanna Smith-Griffin, founder of the education-focused AI startup AllHere Education, has been charged with fraud and identity theft after allegedly misrepresenting her company’s financial health and customer base.  Smith-Griffin, 33, reportedly secured nearly $10 million in investments by inflating revenue figures and claiming non-existent contracts with major school districts, including New York City Public Schools. Misrepresentation and Personal Gain Launched in 2016, AllHere Education aimed to combat absenteeism in schools using an AI chatbot named “Ed.”  By 2021, Smith-Griffin asserted that her technology was adopted by eight major districts.  However,

Ada Ventures, a prominent early-stage venture capital firm, has launched AdaGPT, an AI tool designed to assist startup founders in perfecting their pitch decks.  The free and anonymous platform promises to provide instant feedback on pitches, helping entrepreneurs address potential gaps and align their materials with investor expectations before formal submissions. Addressing the Challenges of Pitch Feedback The traditional startup pitching process often leaves founders waiting for extended periods, only to receive feedback that may highlight fundamental errors.  AdaGPT seeks to eliminate this inefficiency by offering immediate, actionable insights.  Founders

Legal AI innovator Robin AI has raised an additional $25 million in a unique extension of its Series B funding round.  This fresh infusion of capital reflects growing confidence in Robin’s AI-driven solutions, with customers like Cambridge University joining existing backers to support the company. Customers Turned Investors: A Vote of Confidence Robin AI, which serves 13 Fortune 500 companies, has carved out a leading position in the enterprise market. Its high-profile clients include UBS, Pfizer, and PepsiCo, underscoring the versatility of its AI-powered legal tools. Notably, some of its

Research Grid, an AI-driven company dedicated to automating clinical trial administration, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to streamline trial workflows and reduce costly delays.  The funding round, led by Fuel Ventures and including backers like Ada Ventures, Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab, and Arāya Ventures, will help Research Grid expand its engineering, R&D, and marketing efforts, with a focus on US and Asian markets.  This investment supports Research Grid’s mission to cut down on the labor-intensive administrative tasks that can hinder the speed and success of medical research.

TECNO, a leader in smartphone technology, has launched the #ToneProud campaign to combat skin tone bias in AI-driven imaging systems.  This initiative aims to promote inclusivity in imaging technology by ensuring accurate representation of diverse skin tones, especially in emerging markets often overlooked by larger tech players.  268 Skin Tones Database: A Technological Milestone for Inclusive Imaging The foundation of TECNO’s #ToneProud campaign is its new 268 skin tone database, a collection developed to improve how AI-driven imaging systems capture various skin tones.  By assigning specific color codes to skin

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