Reshma Saujani has debuted PaidLeave.AI, her GPT-powered chatbot that helps parents navigate all Paid Family Leave options available to them in New York State, maximizing their benefits. Saujani is the founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code, who recently spoke about her concerns surrounding affordable childcare and paid leave in the US. “Applying for paid leave can mean an avalanche of paperwork, bureaucracy, and tons of confusing questions,” Saunjani wrote on LinkedIn. “I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard moms say: “I wish I had someone to walk me through this.” According to
Tech company Mozilla has added four members from diverse backgrounds to the board of its parent organization, the Mozilla Foundation. The New Board Members Mozilla’s new board members include Armenian-American Raffi Krikorian, CTO at the Emerson Collective, a social impact firm focusing on education, the environment, immigration, and social justice issues. He is also the former CTO of the Democratic National Committee, where he worked to make technology a focus for the Democrats, ensuring every campaign could have industry-quality technology. Alondra Nelson, professor of social science at the Institute for
Kenya-based climate-tech startup Amini has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Salesforce Ventures and the Female Founders Fund. Solving Africa’s Environmental Data Gap Amini focuses on solving Africa’s environmental data gap through AI and satellite technology. Founded by Kate Kallot, Amini has developed a holistic solution. It utilizes AI and space technologies at scale to drive systemic change and promote economic inclusivity for farmers and supply chain resilience across Africa. By fixing Africa’s data gap, they want to make it a more prosperous, equitable, and safe
Banks are now considering using AI for their annual review processes, according to Workday Inc., which may cause issues for Black and minority workers. Workday Inc. has rolled out new products that rely on AI to write job descriptions or aid managers in writing up annual reviews of workers’ performance. Co-Chief Executive Officer of Workday Carl Eschenbach told Bloomberg that banks have expressed interest in those products. Less Time And More Productivity It’s all part of their efforts to streamline operations and cut costs, he said, announcing the offering will
Leap Financial, a financial services tech company focused on Hispanic and Latin Americans, has launched Lola AI. The new AI assistant coaches recently arrived immigrants to the US, helping them fully integrate. Leap Financial The 2022 Census estimated more than 46 million immigrants live in the US, comprising about 13.9% of the population. Almost 80% of America’s unicorn companies have an immigrant founder or an immigrant in a crucial leadership role, such as CEO. Leap Financial is a team of engineers, designers, and software developers who create and launch innovative
A Black family designed the web series Gracie’s Corner to provide engaging and educational information to Black children through entertainment and music. In a recent interview with The Dig, they shared why they aren’t worried about the impact of AI and children’s education. Culturally Relevant Digital Education A report found that young Black students had increasingly reported their feelings of unwantedness in their academic spaces and the toll of energy they must exert to feel safe in these spaces. In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
Tech Spark AI has raised $1.4 million to create a new generative AI platform, Spark Plug, which aims to create a more inclusive, personalized educational experience for students. The pre-seed funding round was led by TD Bank, with participation from Salesforce, Canada’s government, and NBA Canada. An educational ChatGPT alternative Tamar Huggins and her 13-year-old daughter Talia Grant founded the AI company eight years ago to improve the education experience of Black and brown students across North America. Tech Spark is Canada’s first tech and design school committed to empowering
Affordable childcare may be more important than developments in AI for American innovation, says Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code. Saujani spoke about her concerns about affordable childcare in light of emergency federal support for US childcare coming to an end. Emergency Federal Childcare Funding Expires The childcare funding expired on September 30, leaving as many as 70,000 childcare centers at risk of closing, with as many as 3.2 million children losing their spots. The funding stemmed from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the $1.9
Taiwanese American model Sheeren Wu has alleged that a fashion designer uploaded an AI-altered image of her to make her appear white. What Happened? Wu took to TikTok to explain the incident as Michael Costello, a designer who has worked with Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion, posted a photo of her to his Instagram. The image was from a recent LA fashion show, where she states she walked for Costello. However, Wu explained that although it was the black ballgown she walked the runway in, her face had been
A survey conducted by Charter Works found that 53% of Black respondents are afraid of being replaced by AI in comparison to 39% of white respondents. The survey detailed the many possible futures for the technology, including how it can augment workers, displace workers, change the vast majority of jobs, and perpetuate biases. It can also have positives, such as identifying and removing biases, decreasing economic inequality, and being a coach for employees. Currently, one-third of organizations are applying AI across several business units, and 83% of companies consider using
