A Georgia man spent almost a week in jail after Louisiana police wrongly identified him as a fugitive using facial recognition software. Randal Reid, 28, was driving to his mother’s home for Thanksgiving celebrations when local police pulled him over and arrested him, according to local news. Using facial recognition software, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) had identified Reid as a suspect in a spate of thefts. $10,000 worth of Chanel and Louis Vuitton purses had been stolen. The problem? Reid had never set foot in Louisiana. “They told me
Sheryl E. Ponds is working to ensure Black people are not left behind as the world moves towards electric vehicles. She is the entrepreneur behind Black-owned startup Dai Technologies Corp, which designs and builds electric vehicle charging stations. Electric Vehicle Charging Deserts DaiTechCorp describes itself as an ‘EV Adoption expert’ working to bring electric vehicles into the Black community. After successfully building electric vehicle charging stations, Ponds realized that many of her clientele were affluent and white, so she decided to rebuild her business model to reach the Black community. According to reports, about 2%
This article by Christian Ilube was first published on Medium. What is ChatGPT? Open AI is an artificial intelligence research company that aims to create AI to benefit all of humanity. In 2020, they announced GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3), an AI capable of any reading/writing task e.g., question answering, summarising text, or continuing a story. It was created as a step on the way to Open AI’s grand mission of solving general intelligence, creating an AI able to learn any intellectual task that a human can do. Despite not being general intelligence, GPT-3 still has many
Despite the cybersecurity sector being one of the fastest growing in tech, reports have revealed that only 9% of cybersecurity experts are Black, meaning a lot needs to be done to diversify the industry. According to Forbes, Cybersecurity Ventures has forecasted that approximately 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will need to be filled by 2025. As a result, more initiatives have been launched to help close the racial cybersecurity gap – here are a few. CyberVista Arlington-based cybersecurity platform, CyberVista, has launched a free training platform for Black women and girls. The two courses –
Automation Workz, a Detroit-based cybersecurity and tech re-skilling firm seeking to create a real-life ‘Wakanda,’ has secured ByBlack certification. Developed by the US Black Chambers, Inc. and presented by American Express, ByBlack is an extensive national Black business directory and the only national certification exclusively for Black-owned businesses. The certification provides Black entrepreneurs with advanced ways to reach their target client base and access valuable business tools. Creating a real-life Wakanda Automation Workz, founded by urban economist Ida Byrd-Hill, is a cybersecurity reskilling firm and creator of the first tech grit assessment to
Several Black celebrities are facing lawsuits and investigations for promoting FTX, the crypto exchange that collapsed earlier this month, costing US investors $11 billion in damages. A Texas regular is investigating Steph Curry, among others, over payments received to promote FTX, as well as any disclosures made to determine whether any unlawful practices took place. “We are taking a close look at them,” Texas State Securities Board’s Joe Rotunda said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Rotunda emphasized that the celebrities under investigation “aren’t the most immediate priority [but] they’re
Many crypto traders in Africa who frequently use FTX platforms have been shocked and unable to withdraw their funds after an unexpected collapse. FTX’s collapse hits Africa hard The cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, and its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, decided to step down from his position. Once valued at $32 billion, FTX, the platform is now valued at nothing with mountains of debts. According to TechCrunch, over 100,000 Africans used FTX to convert their local currencies to dollars and to bump up their savings. This was
Mass tech layoffs are shaking up the industry and dominating weekly news headlines. From Twitter’s mass layoffs to Meta announcing that they will cut 13% of its workforce, the industry is facing a ‘stormy winter.’ The H-1B Visa Program Mass tech layoffs have left thousands of employees worldwide in a challenging situation. Many will move on to get other jobs in the industry, whereas workers on temporary visas will not be able to do that. Workers with temporary visas have been left with little to no time to find another
Debbie Dickinson and her daughter Markea Dickinson are the dynamic duo behind the new AI-driven wristband and app, Thermaband, which uses technology to help menopausal women manage hot flashes. What is Thermaband Zone? Founded in 2019 by Debbie Dickinson and her daughter Markea Dickinson-Frasier in Miami, Florida, Thermaband aims to revolutionize women’s health, especially for those undergoing the menopause. After facing her challenges with menopause, Debbie Dickinson grew frustrated by the lack of cooling relief solutions for hot flashes. Refusing to accept thermal discomfort as a new way of life,
Black-owned finance company Novae LLC has officially launched a new digital tool to help small businesses find grants and tax incentives to help them grow at a faster rate. What is Novae Grants? The new tool launched by Novae LLC, called Novae Grants, allows thousands of users to search through a database filled with finance assistance opportunities from both the private sector and the government. According to the Novae team, the grants in the database range from $500 to $5 million. They have specifically been designed to help underrepresented Black
