Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...

Colorado is taking a stand to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. On May 8, 2024, the Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 24-205 (SB205), Forbes reports. In the bill’s summary, it wrote that it “requires a developer of a high-risk artificial intelligence system (high-risk system) to use reasonable care to avoid algorithmic discrimination in the high-risk system.” Moreover, the bill described high-risk artificial intelligence systems as any machine-based system that plays a role in consequential decisions being made in education enrollment and education opportunities, employment and employment opportunities, financial and lending services, essential government services, healthcare services, housing, insurance, or legal services. According to Forbes, the bill marks Colorado as the first U.S. state to establish a comprehensive law that not only addresses utilizing AI in employment but also in other critical sectors. On May 17, Governor of Colorado Jared...

When the algorithm runs everything around you, it’s important that the people behind it reflect you. Matthew Finney is a guru when it comes to all things surrounding the process or set of rules that calculate how humans navigate the world through technology. As a data scientist and strategy consultant at Harvard, he is responsible for developing AI decision systems that help large organizations make noise when it comes to some of their most challenging business and mission problems. He joined AfroTech’s Will Lucas to discuss how there is still bias when it comes to the algorithm and how having more people who look like us in the data science industry can move mountains for us in the long run.

Moderating online content is important, especially in a political climate where acts of violence are explicitly linked to hate speech online. Unfortunately, recent studies have found that leading algorithms responsible for detecting hate speech harbor biases of their own. Researchers at the University of Washington conducted a study titled “The Risk of Racial Bias in Hate Speech Detection.” The researchers decided to focus on Twitter because it is a “particularly important space for Black activism.” The study found that tweets by Black people were 1.5 times more likely to be flagged as “offensive.” If a tweet was written using African American English (AAE), then they were 2.2 more times likely to be flagged . This research is backed up by an additional study that found racial bias against Black speech in five academic datasets used for studying hate speech. In their conclusion, the researchers wrote:   “We find evidence of substantial racial bias in all of the datasets tested. This...

Instagram recently changed its feed-generating algorithm, and it threw users off. Now, Vice President of Product at Instagram Kevin Weil announced further changes to the platform’s algorithm meant to make the app easier to use. We're working every day to improve your Instagram feed—with your feedback top of mind! We want to start talking more about what we're changing and why. Today is our first step, focused on making the feed fresher, with newer posts closer to the top. https://t.co/EqoBiszIde — Kevin Weil 🇺🇸 (@kevinweil) March 22, 2018 One big change that’s just been rolled out: Instagram will no longer automatically refresh users’ timelines. “We’ve heard it can feel unexpected when your feed refreshes and automatically bumps you to the top. So today we’re testing a ‘New Posts’ button that lets you choose when you want to refresh, rather than it happening automatically,” Weil said in a statement. “Tap the button and you’ll be taken to new posts at the top of feed — don’t tap, and...

Dove wants increased representation in the digital world, leading the global personal care brand to launch a guide to help designers create characters with Black hair textures and protective styles for video games. “Code My Crown” — created with the help of Black game developers, artists, academics, and stylists — features instructions, personal insights, detailed references, and complete open-source code. “In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” said Lead Guide Contributor and Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl) A.M. Darke in the guide.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Prof. A.M. Darke (@prettydarke) Recent research indicates that 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent Black hair textures, according to Dove. Additionally, around 80% of Black gamers report feeling excluded, discriminated against, or inadequate when they do not see accurate...

Lewis Hamilton has made it his mission to diversify his sport. Hamilton, raised in North London, England, began racing at 8 years old and experienced a lack of representation in the sport firsthand. However, winning created an opportunity for him to feel accepted, he admits in conversation with GQ. “Being the only Black kid on the circuit, struggling at school, really always my big drive was acceptance — ‘If I win the race, I will receive that acceptance in this world,'” he expressed.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) Hamilton began to allocate a lot of his time towards go-karting at a young age with the support of his father, Anthony, who was his mentor and manager, Formula 1 reports. Anthony simultaneously had three jobs at a time to support his son’s driving career. The sacrifice would pay off even within Hamilton’s childhood years. “We won the first six races…Then we just kept going. We kept winning. We kept winning championships,” Hamilton...

Timnit Gebru is shaping the future of tomorrow.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) Non-Linear Career Journey Gebru has always loved math, science , and music. She attended Stanford University from 2008 to 2017, earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering—the same field her father worked in. She combined her interests to launch her career at Apple, first as an audio hardware intern in 2004. A year later, she was hired as an audio systems engineer and worked part-time as an audio engineer from 2007 until her departure four years later. Gebru’s professional journey has not been linear. In 2011, she co-founded Motion Think, a company that leveraged design thinking to create solutions for small businesses. While pursuing her Ph.D. at Stanford, she co-founded and became president of Black in AI after attending one of the largest academic conferences in 2016. At that time, she realized that Black professionals were significantly...