Leap Financial, a financial services tech company focused on Hispanic and Latin Americans, has launched Lola AI. The new AI assistant coaches recently arrived immigrants to the US, helping them fully integrate. Leap Financial The 2022 Census estimated more than 46 million immigrants live in the US, comprising about 13.9% of the population. Almost 80% of America’s unicorn companies have an immigrant founder or an immigrant in a crucial leadership role, such as CEO. Leap Financial is a team of engineers, designers, and software developers who create and launch innovative
Tech Spark AI has raised $1.4 million to create a new generative AI platform, Spark Plug, which aims to create a more inclusive, personalized educational experience for students. The pre-seed funding round was led by TD Bank, with participation from Salesforce, Canada’s government, and NBA Canada. An educational ChatGPT alternative Tamar Huggins and her 13-year-old daughter Talia Grant founded the AI company eight years ago to improve the education experience of Black and brown students across North America. Tech Spark is Canada’s first tech and design school committed to empowering
Taiwanese American model Sheeren Wu has alleged that a fashion designer uploaded an AI-altered image of her to make her appear white. What Happened? Wu took to TikTok to explain the incident as Michael Costello, a designer who has worked with Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion, posted a photo of her to his Instagram. The image was from a recent LA fashion show, where she states she walked for Costello. However, Wu explained that although it was the black ballgown she walked the runway in, her face had been
A survey conducted by Charter Works found that 53% of Black respondents are afraid of being replaced by AI in comparison to 39% of white respondents. The survey detailed the many possible futures for the technology, including how it can augment workers, displace workers, change the vast majority of jobs, and perpetuate biases. It can also have positives, such as identifying and removing biases, decreasing economic inequality, and being a coach for employees. Currently, one-third of organizations are applying AI across several business units, and 83% of companies consider using
The Colorado Division of Insurance (CDI) has adopted a new regulation to prevent life insurers that rely on models and ECDIS from engaging in race-based discrimination. Life insurance regulators have been grappling for several years with the potential risks and benefits of insurers using AI and the significant external data sources utilized by AI in underwriting. The technology used raises regulatory questions, including concerns that its use could cause unfair discrimination. Several insurance regulators have also expressed concern that external data sources used by AI and other algorithms could contribute
A woman with South Asian heritage claimed she couldn’t make bookings through Airbnb due to AI being unable to match two images of her, increasing the concerns surrounding AI biases. Francesca Dias from Sydney couldn’t make an account with Airbnb because she failed its AI’s identity verification process, she told a panel on ABC’s Q+A. One of the ways Airbnb confirms the identity of users is by matching a photo from the user’s government ID – a passport or driver’s license – to a selfie the customer provides. Dias claimed
MM, a dating app that merges technology with real-life experiences, has raised £600K ($750K) in seed funding. The Dating App MM MM, launched in 2019, is a dating and events technology app merging AI with real-life events designed to help singles connect both in the app and in person. The company hosts events and experiences tailored for members to meet and network in person while doing the things they enjoy. MM is available to and has members from all races and genders but considers key cultural nuances within African, Caribbean,
Black women have long contributed to British history, culture, and life, but, like their American sisters, they do so in the face of racism and sexism. Black women’s experiences of microaggressions and discrimination mean they are more likely to experience mental health disorders than white women. They also have negative experiences of mental health care. Their treatment often involves law enforcement for Black women, with fewer opportunities for talking therapies. Black women are also over four times more likely to be involuntarily detained compared to other racial groups in Britain.
President Joe Biden has signed the first-ever AI Executive Order (EO), establishing new standards for AI safety and security. The EO aims to protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, and stand up for consumers and workers while promoting the US’ position as a leader in AI. This includes making it easier for AI experts and highly skilled professionals from other countries to migrate to the US. Streamlining Immigration for AI experts Included in the EO is a set of directives designed to boost the ability of immigrants with
Fei-Fei Li, the Stanford professor dubbed the “godmother of AI,” recently urged President Biden to aggressively fund more AI research and public projects. Unlike many of her industry peers, Li does not fear AI’s existential risks. Instead, she told Bloomberg it’s better to address the issues right here and right now before they escalate. The ‘godmother’ of AI Fei-Fei Li is a computer scientist, AI Researcher, professor at Stanford University, and Author of “The Worlds I See.” After moving from China to New Jersey at the age of 15, she
