By Shirley Hawkins
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Artificial intelligence is not evil but it may be culturally biased.
Those were some of the opinions voiced at a recent seminar conducted by the Black Women’s Network, a networking organization that supports professional and entrepreneurial Black women in their businesses and careers. The seminar, entitled “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Shifting Your Mindset,” was held July 13 to explain artificial intelligence and how it will impact Black and brown people in the future.
General intelligence — the ability to complete any task performed by a human on at least an equal level — is among artificial intelligence’s long-term goals.
James Jones, a consultant and media director of Creative Media Studios who has worked in artificial intelligence for 25 years, said that there are stereotypes that exist in the data of artificial intelligence software.
Jones said that when the software was developed, African Americans were not at the table.
“The people that designed the software did not have Blacks, Mexicans or other minorities in the workplace,” he said.
“There are stereotypes that appear in image generations where it segregates skin tones. It’s well known that the software identifies doctors, lawyers and CEOs as possessing a lighter skin tone.
“But when we polled jobs like dishwasher or construction worker, AI depicted darker hues of people that could be identified as Black and brown people.”
One of the most pressing questions about artificial intelligence is how it will affect workers and, specifically, workers of color in the future. Black Americans, with an unemployment rate twice that of white workers, are overrepresented in roles most likely to be taken over by automation.
According to recent data cited at the seminar, 24% of all Black workers are in occupations with greater than 75% automation potential, compared with just 20% of white workers. In a recent survey from workplace research firm Charter Works, 53% of Black respondents said they worry that artificial intelligence might replace their jobs in the next five years compared with 39% of white respondents.
Lorenzo Murphy, a videographer at Creative Media Studios, said, “Once I learned about AI, I immediately knew that people of color were in trouble and that we were going to be left out. I realized that we were going to be erased through this system because it does not recognize people of color.
“We did a survey on jobs to see which jobs will be eliminated by AI in the future. There were jobs like gardeners, construction workers, dishwashers and secretaries — jobs that are largely held by Black and brown people.”
Asked how he became interested in artificial intelligence, Murphy said he met a data scientist in Silicon Valley named Jeffrey Wofford who told Murphy that he wanted him to become the face of artificial intelligence because Wofford predicted that minorities were going to be left behind in the technology.
“So I wrote a book called ‘AI from a Black Guy,’” said Murphy, adding that the book can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and Audible. Murphy said that the book delves into the intricacies of the software and delivers pertinent advice regarding artificial intelligence and how it can be utilized equitably and effectively.
“I am the new Paul Revere when it comes to AI,” Murphy said. “Nobody believed Revere and they ignored him when he said the British were coming. But the British did come. There are only 2.4% of Black people who recognize AI in the whole world.”
One of the troubling aspects of artificial intelligence is its use of facial recognition.
“AI is still horrible when it comes to recognizing Black and brown people,” Jones said. “The Los Angeles police were using the software with malicious intent but they stopped using it in April 2020.”
Jones is hoping that more minorities will get involved with artificial intelligence in the near future.
“We need coders, designers and developers so that we can develop our own AI software,” Jones said. “We need to be at the table so that we don’t get left behind.”
Jones recently designed an eight-week artificial intelligence curriculum for youths at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
“We plan to start the program in late August,” he said.
He added that it is only a matter of time before artificial intelligence will be used to replace a number of jobs such as marketing, assistant and executive jobs, law and paralegal work.
“AI will also be able to write in depth articles, books, scripts and essays,” said Jones, who added that it will also affect many jobs currently held by minorities.
“Those who are able to become early adaptors of artificial intelligence will be able to take full advantage of the technology,” Jones added.
Both men said that other countries are seeing the benefits of artificial intelligence.
“Eighty-five percent of AI investment comes from China,” Jones said. “They see it as the future and they are investing as much as they can to take over the market.”
“There are a lot of people who are afraid of AI but it is really God’s gift,” Murphy added. “But it’s a new friend that can help you along with prayer because it’s not evil. People think it is but it’s not.”
Shirley Hawkins is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at metropressnews@gmail.com.
