Howard University PhD candidate Howard Prioleau has become the first student from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) selected for the prestigious Google PhD Fellowship. The program supports exceptional graduate students advancing innovative research in computer science and related fields. Prioleau’s research focuses on using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to improve healthcare outcomes. A Passion Ignited Early Prioleau’s interest in technology dates back to childhood, inspired by early encounters with Google’s innovations, according to a press release. A defining moment came when he accidentally installed ransomware on his family’s
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
Moniepoint, a Nigeria-based fintech company, has successfully raised $110 million in a Series C funding round. This raise gives the company a valuation of at least $1 billion for the first time, according to the Financial Times. The financing was led by Development Partners International’s African Development Partners III (ADP III) fund, with participation from investors such as Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Verod Capital, and Lightrock. Strategic Focus on Business Banking and Financial Access Founded in 2015 by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, Moniepoint originally launched as TeamApt. The company
AI-enhanced search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing debunked and racist research claiming genetic superiority of white people over other racial groups, according to Wired. This trend, revealed through investigative work by Hope Not Hate, a UK-based anti-racism organization, has added to concerns about racial bias and radicalization in AI-powered search. AI Search Results Show Discredited Research Patrik Hermansson, a researcher with anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, was investigating the resurgence of scientific racism when he found that AI-driven search engines often promote discredited “race science.” When
Google has reintroduced its Gemini AI software following widespread criticism of the tool’s initial release, which produced problematic and historically inaccurate images. The tech giant’s image-generating feature was initially paused after it generated offensive depictions, including images of Black Nazis and diverse renditions of America’s Founding Fathers, which sparked backlash. New Features and Safeguards Implemented In response to the controversy, Google has announced significant updates to Gemini’s image generation capabilities. The company revealed that an early access version of the tool will be made available to subscribers of Gemini Advanced,
Blacks United in Leading Technology (BUiLT), a nonprofit committed to increasing Black representation in tech, has launched an initiative to protect and restore jobs for Black professionals in the industry. The move comes as a direct response to widespread layoffs that have disproportionately impacted Black technologists, with over 240,000 jobs lost across the sector in 2023 alone. The BUiLT REIT Program: A Lifeline for Black Technologists The BUiLT REIT (Retaining Employability In Tech) program, backed by a Google commercialization grant awarded in March 2024, aims to equip Black professionals with
Google has withdrawn its Olympics ad for the AI chatbot Gemini, titled “Dear Sydney,” following backlash over its portrayal of AI in crafting a child’s letter to her favorite athlete. Controversial Ad Sparks Outrage The “Dear Sydney” commercial features a young girl’s father using Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, to help write a letter to U.S. hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The ad, which includes a scene of the AI-generated letter and concludes with the child running on a track, aimed to demonstrate Gemini’s potential as a supportive tool in creative
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has revealed its 8th cohort, featuring ten startups from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. These ventures are using AI to address significant issues in healthcare, cargo mobility, energy solutions, and beyond. Pioneering Innovation Across Africa Africa’s tech ecosystem is described as a hub of creativity and problem-solving, driven by startups tackling both local and global challenges with exceptional ingenuity. Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has been important in supporting the continent’s startup landscape. The program has now
DeCarlos Love has been named CEO of Thrive AI Health, a new AI health startup funded by OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global. Writing for TIME, Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, and Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post and Thrive Global, explained that Thrive AI Health will offer a hyper-personalized AI health coach. Thrive AI Health Thrive AI Health aims to build AI-powered assistant tech to democratize access to expert-level health coaching to improve health outcomes. The startup will use generative AI to hyper-personalize and scale behavior change
The Google for Startups Founders Fund is back for the fifth year and is funding 20 Black and Latine AI companies in the US. The fund first launched as part of Google’s $175 million commitment towards racial equity and to date has deployed more than $50 million dollars to more than 570 Black and Latine founders around the world. Google For Startups Founders Fund & AI As AI developments are on the rise, this year, Google has funded 20 US-based companies that are pushing the boundaries in AI. The companies
