Federal authorities are investigating disturbing racist text messages sent anonymously to Black Americans across the United States, including students. These messages invoked themes of slavery, instructing recipients to “report to the nearest plantation.” The texts have triggered concern and condemnation, and multiple law enforcement agencies are now involved. Text Messages Spark National Alarm The texts have been reported in states such as New York, California, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Each message varied slightly in wording, but most instructed the recipients to gather their belongings and prepare to “pick cotton”
TECNO, a leader in smartphone technology, has launched the #ToneProud campaign to combat skin tone bias in AI-driven imaging systems. This initiative aims to promote inclusivity in imaging technology by ensuring accurate representation of diverse skin tones, especially in emerging markets often overlooked by larger tech players. 268 Skin Tones Database: A Technological Milestone for Inclusive Imaging The foundation of TECNO’s #ToneProud campaign is its new 268 skin tone database, a collection developed to improve how AI-driven imaging systems capture various skin tones. By assigning specific color codes to skin
A team of researchers has revealed a new set of algorithms designed to enhance the realism of highly coiled hair in digital animation. The study presents advanced geometric techniques that achieve levels of accuracy, addressing the challenges of representing coiled, afro-textured hair—a crucial development for more inclusive digital storytelling. Advancing Hair Animation with Phase Locking and Period Skipping Historically, digital hair modeling has excelled at simulating straight and wavy hair but has struggled to capture the intricacies of coiled textures. This new research introduces several methods: Phase Locking: By employing
Google has added 15 African languages to its Voice Search, Gboard’s talk-to-type, and Translate dictation, bringing online access to around 300 million more Africans. The newly supported languages include Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin, Chichewa, Kikuyu, Oromo, Rundi, Shona, Somali, Tigrinya, and Twi, allowing more people to interact with Google services in their native languages. More Languages on Voice and Gboard With this update, Google Voice Search and Gboard talk-to-type now support 12 more African languages, raising the total to 25. Google Translate has also added voice input for 13
The US tech industry is on track for substantial growth, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 13% increase in tech roles by 2030. Yet, despite this boom, Hispanic representation in tech remains disproportionally low. This discrepancy is particularly striking when compared to the Hispanic population’s growth, which has surged to around 19% of the total US population as of 2020. Examining Key Cities: Growth vs. Representation An analysis by Bureau of Labor Statistics of major cities reveals significant gaps between Hispanic population growth and tech job representation. Philadelphia,
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), SoFi has launched the Give Her Credit campaign. The digital financial services platform has teamed up with tennis icon Venus Williams and Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink to spotlight progress in women’s financial rights and inspire ongoing change. The campaign will provide $500,000 in grants, distributing $10,000 each to 50 selected individuals or groups to boost projects promoting women’s financial independence. 50 years of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act Passed in 1974, the ECOA marked a
A deepfake video portraying Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. endorsing former president Donald Trump has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from King’s daughter, Bernice King. Posted on Sunday night by the pro-Trump X account “MAGA Resource,” the AI-generated video falsely shows King urging Black Americans to support Trump, claiming he did “more for the Black community than any other president.” By late Monday, the controversial clip had gained over 10 million views, sparking outrage. Bernice King Denounces Deepfake as “Vile” Bernice King took to X on Monday, condemning the video as
This week on Techish, Michael and Abadesi tackle UK and US politics—covering Kemi Badenoch, budget hits for small businesses, and tax headaches for high earners. They also chat about Big Tech’s stance on the US elections, the tech industry’s broken promises, and wrap up with a look at catfishing in online dating. Kemi Badenoch Is Now the UK Conservative Party Leader (00:20) Is the New UK Budget Anti-Business? (04:55) 6-Figure Salaries, Childcare, and the Tax Debate (09:37) US Elections and Big Tech (16:40) Sweet Bobby and Catfishing (26:22) Listen to
Dr Paul Stephenson, a key figure in the British civil rights movement and leader of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, has died at age 87. Stephenson, who fought for racial equality and against workplace discrimination, passed away on Saturday after battling Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Leading the Bristol Bus Boycott Dr Stephenson’s work gained national attention when he led the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963. The boycott was sparked when the Bristol Omnibus Company refused to hire Black and Asian drivers. This 60-day protest led to the company lifting its
AI-driven hiring tools overwhelmingly prefer resumes with names associated with white men, a new University of Washington (UW) study has found. Resumes with white male names were selected 85% of the time, while those with female-associated names were chosen only 11% of the time. By contrast, resumes with names associated with Black men fared the worst, with models passing them over in favor of other groups in nearly 100% of cases. Biases in AI Resume Screening AI-powered tools are becoming staples in the hiring process. For example, large language model
