Laphonza Butler has been sworn in to fill the Senate seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week at age 90. California Gov. Gavin Newsom had selected Laphonza Butler to succeed Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in history. Butler, the former president of EMILY’s List, is known for her work as a union leader but was also a director at Airbnb and advised Uber during its conflict over workers’ rights. A historic appointment Butler is now the third female Black senator in US history. She is also
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has asked the US Justice Department (DOJ) to investigate the deployment of the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system in Black neighborhoods. The nonprofit raised concerns about the technology being used to justify the over-policing of Black communities. What Is ShotSpotter Gunfire Detection System? ShotSpotter, owned by SoundThinking, a public safety technology company, is a gunshot detection technology. It uses acoustic sensors to detect, locate, and alert law enforcement about illegal gunfire incidents. The digital alerts include a precise location on a map, with corresponding data
Global payments giant Visa is partnering with the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to co-fund data science and AI scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds. The partnership stems from the UK’s National AI Strategy, which set out a vision to strengthen the UK’s position as an AI and science superpower over the coming decade. The Launch of Visa’s AI Scholarships The partnership aims to increase diversity in the technology sector, assisting women, Black students, disabled students, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Visa said the scheme
Randal Quran Reid spent almost a week in jail after Louisiana police wrongly identified him using facial recognition software. He has now filed a lawsuit against them. What Happened? Reid, 28, was driving to his mother’s house for Thanksgiving when local police pulled him over and arrested him. They had used facial recognition software, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) identified him as a suspect in a spate of thefts in Louisiana. Reid, however, had never set foot in Louisiana and was unaware of what Jefferson Parish was. There
Google and Howard University have announced a new partnership, Project Elevate Black Voices, to build a high-quality African-American English (AAE) speech dataset. The new partnership will allow Howard University to share the dataset with those looking to improve speech technology while establishing a framework for responsible data collection, ensuring the data benefits Black communities. Google has confirmed that the university will retain ownership of the dataset and licensing. Automatic Speech Recognition and Black People Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology allows humans to use their voices to speak with a computer
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has upheld the decision to restrict public access to information about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) lie detectors at EU borders. This ruling has sparked concerns among civil rights groups, shedding light on the limitations of the EU’s AI Act in safeguarding the rights of migrants and refugees. The Act is set to become the world’s first comprehensive AI law. AI-Powered Lie Detectors at EU Borders At the center of this controversy lies iBorderCtrl, an emotion recognition pilot project aimed
Big Tech companies are being probed about the treatment of their “ghost workers” by Democratic lawmakers. Ghost work refers to the undervalued, underpaid, and undersupported human labor utilized to develop and maintain the automation of websites and apps. This work is often outsourced, hidden, or rendered invisible by the tech companies who request it. With the rise of generative AI, this work often includes training and improving algorithms. According to Just Tech, ghost workers are usually vulnerable people from Asia, Latin America and Africa who are being paid less than
San Francisco-based startup Writer Inc., a generative AI platform for corporate content, has raised $100 million. Using AI to write content Writer is a generative AI startup that uses its large language models (LLMS) to let enterprises and their employees write and edit content. This may include emails, documents, and ads adhering to a company’s editorial guidelines. With the name “Writer”, the startup only produces text, removing the operation of visual content such as images and videos. Founders May Habib from Lebanon and Wassem Alshikh from Syria used their personal
Black tech entrepreneur Dedren Snead has soft-launched Subsume Studios in an Atlanta downtown hub, Underground Atlanta. According to Black Enterprise, Snead’s vision is to build a ‘Black Pixar’, revitalizing tourist attraction to promote art, culture, and technological advancement within the city. Naming the studio as “the world’s first Afrofuturism lab,” his mission with this space is to build “a template for the solutions of tomorrow.” Dedren Snead Snead is a writer, artist, game developer, creative consultant, emerging technologist and futurist from Atlanta, Georgia. He uses graphic novels, animation, gaming and
The MIT 35 Innovators Under 35 is a yearly opportunity to look at where technology is, where it’s going, and who’s taking it there. With more than 500 people nominated annually, the editors pick the most promising to reach the next round. Then, each candidate’s work is evaluated by a panel of expert judges. This year, many people of color are featured in the list of 35. Here, we’ve listed some of the Black innovators that made the MIT 2023 Under 35 List. Daniel Omeiza 31-year-old Omeiza is working to
