The Black image, history and Artificial Intelligence

Presently some people are using AI to portray ancient African civilisations prior to European arrival while others are creating Black people as monkeys eating fried chicken as can be seen from 10.12 HERE

Blackness and AI

A.I. is consuming and producing Blackness at an alarming rate. From large language models (LLMs) that make up chatbots like ChatGPT, to generated audio, images and videos of Black people, the rapidly developing capacity of AI tools to mimic and reproduce Black styles isboth cause for concern and a site of possibility.Using examples such as ChatGPT’s introduction of voice mode and recent ability to perform a multitude of accents, Dr. Walcott introduces current debates surrounding AI tools. Should we see generative AI as blackface or kin? What are thepotential harms andpossibilities of these technologies for Black folks? And how should we navigate these technologies, with acceptance or refusal?

This online talk by Dr Rianna Walcott will be folowed by Q&A. Zoom link will be sent closer to the time please check your JUNK mail.

This talk is linked to the campaign for racial equality at the British Film Institute and the rise in right wing attacks on education and Black history.

Such events provide a safe space at a time when they are serious cuts to to Black history /education at Chichester, Birmingham and Goldsmiths universities. Executives at BSix College in Hackney, that has a record of pushing Black students to Oxford/Cambridge, wants to cut its education/Black history programme due to 'restructuring' . The BFI Southbank despite 17,430 signatures to keep the 17-year-old African Odysseys, educational, anti-racist film series going, has cancelled the programme due to 'restructuring' and with no consultation or legally required Race Equality Impact Assessment.

For more information and to support BSIX click HERE

For more information and to support African Odysseys click HERE

About the speaker

Dr. Rianna Walcott is an Assistant Professor of Communication (https://communication.umd.edu/directory/rianna-walcott)at the University of Maryland, and Associate Director of theBlack Communication and Technology (BCaT) Lab (https://www.bcatlab.org/)as part of theDISCO Network (https://www.disconetwork.org/). Dr. Walcott earned her PhD in Digital Humanities at King's College London for her research on Black British communication practices across social media platforms, locating the evolution of a hybrid ‘Black British’ identity against the wider Black diaspora. She combines digital research, Black feminist praxis, decolonial studies, arts and culture, and mental health advocacy in her work. In the time left over, she moonlights as a jazz singer.