Dr. Ayanna Howard is set to become the 12th president of the esteemed HBCU Spelman College. Howard will become the university’s roboticist and artificial intelligence expert. Additionally, her new book, Rebooting The Machines, is set for release in November. In the book, Dr. Howard acknowledges that AI will take away jobs and opportunities, but she also wants people to understand how to utilise AI to the best of its ability. The future of AI cannot depend on engineers in Silicon Valley; she argues it should come from all of us.
AI operations platform Ellis AI announced it raised $10 million in seed funding from investors including First Round Capital, 645 Ventures, Harlem Capital, Khosla Ventures, Thrive Capital, Slow Capital, Kearny Jackson, and Ariel Alternatives CEO Mellody Hobson. Its founder, Ryan Williams, is known for co-creating the real estate investment platform Cadre alongside Josh and Jared Kushner in 2014. “Ellis is the first-of-its-kind AI-native operating platform for private credit,” Williams said in a LinkedIn post. “We are making institutional-grade operations available to every private credit manager, not just the largest.” About
Plans to build offices and a data center in Brick Lane, East London, have been approved. The decision was made on Wednesday 29th July by British Labour minister Matthew Pennycook on behalf of his boss, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, according to The Standard. Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said the decision is “deeply disappointing and a missed opportunity to deliver the social and affordable housing that Tower Hamlets residents urgently need.” Plans for the data center The brewery currently consists of pop-up shops, restaurants, and bars. Truman Estates owner Zeloof LLC plans
The NAACP recently filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop air pollution from Elon Musk’s company, xAI, and its parent company, MZX Tech. The lawsuit states that xAI is operating dozens of natural gas turbines at its Mississippi data centre without proper air permits, violating the Clean Air Act, and posing a risk to local communities’ health. But, how dangerous are these pollutants to local communities, and what are their long-term health risks? POCIT spoke with Glory Dolphin Hammes, the CEO of IQAir North America, who has years of experience
The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to launch its first stock exchange in 2027, which will include the Congolese franc and the US dollar. Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi told Bloomberg News that the new exchange will allow the country to benefit from the growing demand for crucial minerals that will fuel the AI revolution. “The reality of our economy is that it is strongly dollarized,” Li-Botayi said in an email response, highlighting that more than 95% of total banking system deposits and over 80% of public securities
South Africa is rolling out over 33,000 CCTV cameras, drones, and helicopters, and deploying 13,000 law enforcement officers across Gauteng Province ahead of Tuesday’s anti-migrant protests. The operation, which will cost an estimated R600 million ($35.5 million) will be the largest domestic security operation in recent years, according to Business Insider Africa. The anti-migrant protests The operation comes after concerns from migrant communities who are seeking refuge at embassies and advice in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Some migrants have left their homes and businesses ahead of demonstrations organised by the anti-illegal-immigration movement, March
A new study has found that AI hiring tools discriminate against Black and Asian job applicants. The study, “Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring,” was conducted by researchers from Stanford University, Chapman University, and Northeastern University. It highlighted how 90% of US employees use AI screening tools to find top applicants. But how does this affect people of colour looking for new roles? AI hiring tools affecting Black and Asian job applicants The study found that 26% of Black applicants and 15% of Asian applicants applied to roles where the AI tool discriminated against
A California judge is upholding more recent claims against Workday in its anti-discrimination lawsuit. Judge Rita F. Lin said under California law, the company could face discrimination for an incident that occurred at its state headquarters after Workday, stating that the state’s anti-discrimination laws did not cover its screening of applicants based outside California who were applying for jobs in other states and countries. This is part of a collective-action lawsuit alleging that its AI-powered hiring tools discriminate against workers age 40 and older. The lawsuit was first filed in February
The US Department of Justice believes that Elon Musk’s company, xAI, should be able to violate the Clean Air Act solely because the Trump administration says so. The DOJ’s statements follow the NAACP’s Clean Air Act citizen suit against xAI, alleging that it violates the Clean Air Act and poses a risk to local communities’ health. “Laws like the Clean Air Act are a bedrock insurance policy for communities to hold polluters accountable for decisions that cause them harm. This should not be up for debate, and the NAACP will
Fisk University is receiving backlash for its Quantum Leap project. The $1 billion project plans to improve the student experience by building a data and tech centre, renovating the student area, and upgrading student classrooms, according to a press release. The Quantum Leap project The innovation centre will be a $400 million project spanning a 100,000-square-foot facility with 30,000 square feet of academic space and 70,000 square feet of technology centre. The centre will provide students with new and existing curricula, as well as tech-forward interdisciplinary studies. “Reflecting Fisk University’s
