Usher’s New Look (UNL) and IBM have embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration to foster career readiness in AI and professional workplace skills. UNL is a 501c3 organization founded by Usher Raymond IV in 1999 that supports a vision that all youth should be afforded the chance to unlock their full potential. Transforming under-resourced youth IBM SkillsBuild is a free education program focused on underrepresented communities in tech. The partnership with UNL is set to transform the lives of thousands of high school and college students, especially those from underrepresented communities in technology. “Joining
Recent research has raised alarming concerns about covert racism in AI language models. Experts from the Allen Institute for AI, the University of Oxford, Stanford University, LMU Munich, and the University of Chicago conducted the study. It revealed that these models, including GPT4, manifest bias against African American Vernacular English (AAE) speakers. This troubling revelation brings to light how AI can perpetuate racial stereotypes, leading to unfair and discriminatory outcomes. What Did The Study Find? The study, co-authored by Valentin Hofmann, Pratyusha Ria Kalluri, Dan Jurafsky, and Sharese King, found
Recent findings from a comprehensive review have highlighted biases in commonly used medical devices and technologies that can harm people of color. These include optical medical devices like pulse oximeters, AI-assisted devices, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) in genomics. Biases In Medical Devices The review was initiated by the UK’s former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, and conducted by a panel of experts. “Making sure the healthcare system works for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, is paramount to our values as a nation,” Junior Health Minister Andrew Stephenson told The Guardian. “It supports our
Block Party, a startup initially centered on curbing online harassment via Twitter’s API, has undergone a significant pivot in the wake of API changes on the platform now known as X. Privacy Party Tracy Chou, a prominent software engineer and tech diversity advocate, introduced the venture’s new focus at this year’s SXSW conference in Austin. The reinvented platform Privacy Party emerges as a solution to the complex challenge of managing privacy settings across various social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, and X. Originally, Block Party leveraged Twitter’s API to
Trez, the first U.S. Latine payroll platform company, is reshaping the financial landscape for Latine businesses in America. Trez Recognized by notable institutions like Techstars, Forbes, Inc., and Stanford GSB, Trez provides specialized payroll, benefits, and financial services solutions. The platform is specifically designed to support the burgeoning Latine business community. Trez emerges at a crucial time when Latine-owned businesses, contributing $500 billion in annual sales and millions of jobs, are becoming vital in the U.S. economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hispanics will constitute 78% of the new workforce entrants between 2020 and
NASA’s latest class of astronauts, including two notable Black graduates, Andre Douglas and Christopher Williams, marks a milestone for the agency: it has enlisted 20 Black astronauts since the beginning. A Milestone For Black Astronauts NASA’s recent ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston celebrated the graduation of 10 astronauts, now eligible for various flight assignments. This diverse group is set to participate in future missions, ranging from the International Space Station to the Moon and eventually to Mars. The graduates were selected from an impressive pool of over 12,000 applicants, demonstrating exceptional talent
Robinhood, the renowned trading and investing platform, has partnered with Rich Paul, the founder of KLUTCH Sports Group and LeBron James’ agent. Robinhood ventures into sports and entertainment Robinhood is a stock brokerage that allows customers to buy and sell stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies with zero commission. Announced on Thursday, this collaboration marks Robinhood’s ambitious venture into the realms of sports, entertainment, and media. The fintech firm prides itself on introducing a diverse range of first-time investors to the market, aligning with Paul’s impactful history in sports management. Meet
A recent leak of data from SoundThinking, the company behind ShotSpotter, has shed light on its disproportionate impact on Black and Latine communities. This revelation comes from a detailed WIRED analysis of a leaked document, which reveals the locations of 25,580 ShotSpotter microphones globally, including in the United States. ShotSpotter’s Impact On Black And Latine Communities The data, which was obtained anonymously, marks the first exposure of SoundThinking’s extensive surveillance network. It shows that microphones have been placed in over a thousand elementary and high schools, hospitals, public housing complexes, and significant government buildings, including
Altro, a leading credit-building and financial literacy platform, has raised $4 million in a strategic funding round, gaining support from figures such as Tinashe, Quavo, Marshawn Lynch, and Chris Paul. Altro Founded in 2019 by Michael Broughton and initially known as Perch, Altro has been instrumental in helping users enhance their credit scores. It ingeniously integrates everyday payments and subscriptions into its credit-building mechanism, including Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and Starz. Beyond this, Altro extends educational resources to all its members, even those with a baseline free membership. These resources encompass Altro’s Convo, featuring short
Tennis star Venus Williams has brought her design talents to Palazzo, a generative AI-based interior design platform bridging the gap between design and personalization. The service, co-founded by Williams, Raffi Holzer, and Edward Lando, allows users to reimagine their living spaces with the help of advanced technology. Palazzo Palazzo introduces a new approach to interior design, blending the ease of technology with design expertise. Users can upload photos of their rooms and, through a conversation with an AI chatbot, witness a convincing transformation of their space. Palazzo, currently in beta, holds vast
