I'm really interested in like your perspective,
 2
00:00:02.969 --> 00:00:05.472 especially being a black man in a leadership position, right?
 3
00:00:05.472 --> 00:00:08.274 That comes with its own sort of baggage sometimes,
 4
00:00:08.274 --> 00:00:12.145 but then also having this responsibility for one's community to kind of say like
 5
00:00:13.046 --> 00:00:15.382 people like me typically haven't been in these spaces.
 6
00:00:15.382 --> 00:00:17.350 And so now and there's that extra sort of weight.
 7
00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:18.418 How do you work through that?
 8
00:00:18.418 --> 00:00:19.419 And how have you kind of learned
 9
00:00:19.419 --> 00:00:22.722 throughout your process in your career to kind of deal with things like that?
 10
00:00:22.956 --> 00:00:24.524 There are two things that I think about.
 11
00:00:24.524 --> 00:00:26.426 We run the Martin Luther King Day of service.
 12
00:00:26.426 --> 00:00:28.928 Dr. King said one of the most famous lines about service.
 13
00:00:28.928 --> 00:00:31.097 Anybody can be great because anybody can serve.
 14
00:00:31.097 --> 00:00:34.868 And I think when I have tough days, let me talk about the tough days that Dr.
 15
00:00:34.868 --> 00:00:35.702 King had.
 16
00:00:35.702 --> 00:00:37.404 When I think about John Lewis,
 17
00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:40.607 I remember him speaking a few years back before he passed away,
 18
00:00:40.673 --> 00:00:43.143 and he said, you know, people tell me things aren't getting any better.
 19
00:00:43.143 --> 00:00:44.511 He's like, you want to look at that footage of me
 20
00:00:44.511 --> 00:00:47.013 on the bridge with the dogs and the hoses and the police.
 21
00:00:47.013 --> 00:00:48.114 Things are getting better.
 22
00:00:48.114 --> 00:00:50.016 This idea that the arc of the moral
 23
00:00:50.016 --> 00:00:52.419 universe is long, but it bends toward justice is so true.
 24
00:00:52.419 --> 00:00:54.521 And I've seen that in my own life.
 25
00:00:54.521 --> 00:00:57.657 I think about Sister Harriet, who Governor Moore just named
 26
00:00:57.657 --> 00:01:01.027 a one star general posthumously in the Maryland National Guard.
 27
00:01:01.027 --> 00:01:04.064 I think about my grandmother, who grew up in a little shack
 28
00:01:04.064 --> 00:01:06.766 where they had to go outside to get water because there was no plumbing.
 29
00:01:06.766 --> 00:01:09.302 And I got to take her to the Oval Office to meet my boss.
 30
00:01:09.302 --> 00:01:12.806 And so when when I think about hard days, I look about where we've come from.
 31
00:01:12.806 --> 00:01:16.376 I look on the shoulders on which I stand, and it makes it a little easier.
 32
00:01:16.443 --> 00:01:20.413 I would say the other thing is incumbent upon us that are black and brown
 33
00:01:20.447 --> 00:01:24.050 and women and other folks that didn't expect to get into certain rooms.
 34
00:01:24.050 --> 00:01:26.386 If you get into a room and there's no one that looks like you,
 35
00:01:26.386 --> 00:01:27.654 that's somebody else's fault.
 36
00:01:27.654 --> 00:01:30.457 If you leave that room and there's no one that looks like you, that's your fault.
 37
00:01:30.457 --> 00:01:33.993 And so we have a responsibility to cultivate pipelines to make sure that
 38
00:01:33.993 --> 00:01:37.897 the people closest to the pain are closest to the power and are in seats of decision
 39
00:01:37.897 --> 00:01:40.900 so that they are making decisions about the challenges in their community.
 40
00:01:41.034 --> 00:01:45.672 And you all know that the data shows up when boardrooms, when c-suites
 41
00:01:45.672 --> 00:01:49.275 look like America, they actually outperform their peers.
 42
00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:51.878 And so that's something that I focus on all the time.
 

My path worked out for me but my original goal was to be a journalist. I did a lot of internships and part-time jobs, and learned that I loved working on Capitol Hill and with nonprofits. The most important thing is to have a clear north star of how you want to leave the world a better place. Then get the education, skills, and training you need to achieve your goals. You also have to be willing to course correct, try new things, and always be open to education in formal and informal settings.

I lost a brother to gun violence, which has helped propel my mission to help young Black men. I ended up leading My Brother's Keeper for the Obama administration, where I helped to build safe and supportive communities for boys young men of color.

The best part of my job is spending time with our members, volunteers, grantees, partners, and alumni. In my visits, I often join with Members of Congress to celebrate new investments and to learn what’s working, what’s not, and how we can improve. The rest of my time is spent working with our staff to develop and implement strategic plans, ensuring we are good stewards of taxpayers resources, monitoring our financial and operational reform, forming new partnerships, and reporting on progress.

Goals

Perseverance

Inclusion And Progress

I'm really interested to see like what you kind of see as the future for,
 2
00:00:05.105 --> 00:00:08.108 I don't know, increasing access and like diversity, equity,
 3
00:00:08.108 --> 00:00:12.846 and inclusion in the higher ed space and how you think we could do a better job
 4
00:00:12.846 --> 00:00:13.947 of like getting more people
 5
00:00:13.947 --> 00:00:17.751 that look like us to realize that like you can be successful, you know,
 6
00:00:17.751 --> 00:00:20.720 going through like the higher education path is not the only path, right?
 7
00:00:20.720 --> 00:00:22.856 But it's just a tried and true method. Yeah.
 8
00:00:22.856 --> 00:00:27.560 I think going back to what I shared, this is always sort of information asymmetry.
 9
00:00:27.560 --> 00:00:30.196 What do people think professors do?
 10
00:00:30.196 --> 00:00:33.333 And I think we're not all a monolith as like
 11
00:00:33.333 --> 00:00:36.836 black men or people coming into undergraduate.
 12
00:00:36.836 --> 00:00:38.772 We're coming from different places.
 13
00:00:38.772 --> 00:00:39.005 You know,
 14
00:00:39.005 --> 00:00:42.442 some went to private school, some went to the public school, some were homeschooled.
 15
00:00:42.776 --> 00:00:45.879 So we're all coming from all these different walks,
 16
00:00:45.879 --> 00:00:49.516 I think really sharing a little bit more about what professors do
 17
00:00:49.516 --> 00:00:52.519 and what's required and what does what what does that day look,
 18
00:00:52.652 --> 00:00:55.455 there are people who are at teaching universities where it's just teaching.
 19
00:00:55.455 --> 00:00:59.492 Your job is to teach people and you can just lean into that work.
 20
00:00:59.492 --> 00:01:00.093 Other folks
 21
00:01:00.093 --> 00:01:03.329 there are research institutions and a lot of what you're going to be doing
 22
00:01:03.329 --> 00:01:07.534 is in the lab and you're going to be doing papers and, that's
 23
00:01:07.534 --> 00:01:11.304 really what you're going to be doing is all, basic research.
 24
00:01:11.304 --> 00:01:12.338 And you're doing that.
 25
00:01:12.338 --> 00:01:14.307 Yeah, I mean, you're right where you should be.
 26
00:01:14.307 --> 00:01:16.843 You're struggling trying to figure out what's next.
 27
00:01:16.843 --> 00:01:19.512 And at your age, that's that's perfect.
 28
00:01:19.512 --> 00:01:23.249 And I think a lot of us are trying to figure out why are we here or whatever.
 29
00:01:23.383 --> 00:01:27.053 You know, we can get real deep into to purpose and all of that piece.
 30
00:01:27.053 --> 00:01:30.056 but You can be the smartest guy or gal in a room, but
 31
00:01:30.323 --> 00:01:34.594 if you can't let people know, it really doesn't mean anything.
 32
00:01:34.894 --> 00:01:35.395 And also
 33
00:01:35.395 --> 00:01:38.965 if you're just super, super charming, but you don't have anything to back it up.
 34
00:01:39.666 --> 00:01:42.368 That doesn't take you too far either.
 35
00:01:42.368 --> 00:01:46.339 And so really, being able to combine things works out really well.
 36
00:01:46.339 --> 00:01:47.040 And I'm actually happy
 37
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:50.844 I didn't go the Ph.D route because I think I would have been good.
 38
00:01:50.844 --> 00:01:55.844 But I think for what I'm set to do, I think the MBA was is a better tool.
 39
00:01:56.449 --> 00:01:59.018 They're just things that help you do what you do.
 40
00:01:59.018 --> 00:02:02.922 And you can assemble very different, tools to make things happen.
 41
00:02:03.022 --> 00:02:03.923 It's really about
 42
00:02:03.923 --> 00:02:05.792 what is the problem that you're trying to solve?
 43
00:02:05.792 --> 00:02:10.263 And so if you're trying to solve a problem of, gaps and disparities
 44
00:02:10.263 --> 00:02:14.501 and inefficiencies in terms of funding and investment.
 45
00:02:14.801 --> 00:02:18.738 Then, yeah getting a PhD in chemical engineering is probably not the route.
 46
00:02:18.872 --> 00:02:22.275 Then take your engineering background and go do economics
 47
00:02:22.509 --> 00:02:26.379 and, maybe you go into finance, you know, or you go do that
 48
00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:29.616 or you end up at Brookings Institute or somewhere
 49
00:02:29.616 --> 00:02:32.952 like a think tank helping to think about, you know, this type of work.
 

2024 BMHE Roadtrip
advanced-degree
entrepreneur

Figure out what your passion is. What did you enjoy doing at 12 years old? Then determine what's in your toolbox. Your toolbox contains your degrees and resume, and it also includes your unique perspective and experiences. For example, if you're a Black man with an engineering degree, you bring different things to the table than a white woman with the same degree. Finally, figure out where the money is to fund what your goals. Connect with people, find the funding, set a plan, and keep moving.

Going to MIT was a big deal where I came from, so I really felt the pressure of the community behind me. I wish that I could've taken a break and relaxed a little bit more through my educational journey.

Every day, I work to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion in clean energy. As the leader of Browning the Green Space, I connect with community organizations, corporate partners, and policymakers to create jobs, build wealth, and reduce energy burdens for communities of color. My day might involve speaking at conferences, advising federal agencies, or leading panels, all with the goal of ensuring a just energy transition​.

Co-Founder & Partner

Individuality

Increasing DEI In Higher Education

I'm curious
 2
00:00:00.834 --> 00:00:04.371 at like, if since PIF and like USDS hit ten years, like where do you see U.S.
 3
00:00:04.371 --> 00:00:05.939 Digital Core being in ten years?
 4
00:00:05.939 --> 00:00:07.273 Yeah, that's a great question.
 5
00:00:07.273 --> 00:00:11.478 I think one unofficial metric that we think about is right
 6
00:00:11.578 --> 00:00:15.015 we had 95% of our fellows graduate and stay in government,
 7
00:00:15.015 --> 00:00:18.752 and I think it is not a long shot to say in ten years
 8
00:00:19.185 --> 00:00:23.189 some of those folks might be chief technology officers or chief information
 9
00:00:23.189 --> 00:00:26.960 officers of entire federal agencies with tens of millions of dollars,
 10
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:31.865 if not more, And so ideally in ten years, we've kind of formalized
 11
00:00:31.865 --> 00:00:35.969 how we run this program And then the folks who come through the program, right,
 12
00:00:35.969 --> 00:00:39.139 that they continue to have impact at agencies across government.
 13
00:00:39.139 --> 00:00:43.910 But I often come back to like a hearts and minds mantra.
 14
00:00:43.910 --> 00:00:46.546 How do we get people who are studying computer science?
 15
00:00:46.546 --> 00:00:49.582 How do we get people who maybe are in a data science classroom
 16
00:00:49.849 --> 00:00:52.819 who right now their first career aspiration,
 17
00:00:52.819 --> 00:00:53.820 the first thing that comes to mind
 18
00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:56.856 is, Hey, let me go into the private sector and make a bunch of money.
 19
00:00:56.956 --> 00:01:01.795 How do we grow not just the digital core, but the sense of public service,
 20
00:01:01.795 --> 00:01:06.332 the sense of public interest technology so that people are actively considering it
 21
00:01:06.332 --> 00:01:11.304 and they think it is cool or great and economically feasible career path.
 22
00:01:11.304 --> 00:01:13.073 But in ten years, if this is
 23
00:01:14.107 --> 00:01:16.109 in people's hearts and minds that
 24
00:01:16.109 --> 00:01:20.847 this is a career path, that I can tell my friends that I'm doing it.
 25
00:01:20.847 --> 00:01:23.917 And the first question is not, wait what are you doing?
 26
00:01:23.917 --> 00:01:26.386 But wait, that's awesome. Congratulations.
 27
00:01:26.386 --> 00:01:27.120 There's something there.
 28
00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:30.523 So I think all of our fellows, especially in our first few classes,
 29
00:01:30.957 --> 00:01:32.092 they took a chance, right?
 30
00:01:32.092 --> 00:01:34.294 This program only existed on paper
 31
00:01:34.294 --> 00:01:37.964 and they have so many other career paths that they could take.
 32
00:01:38.098 --> 00:01:39.699 Right. But they chose to be here.
 33
00:01:39.699 --> 00:01:41.468 And I think
 34
00:01:41.468 --> 00:01:44.771 person by person they are changing the complexion
 35
00:01:44.771 --> 00:01:47.941 of what it means to be a public servant, what it means to be a technologist.
 36
00:01:47.941 --> 00:01:49.676 And I come back to all the time.
 37
00:01:49.676 --> 00:01:51.144 You got to humanize government.
 38
00:01:51.144 --> 00:01:56.144 they see this big, faceless bureaucracy, but at the end of the day, it's people
 39
00:01:56.382 --> 00:02:00.320 like us sitting around a table showing up and trying to get the work done.
 40
00:02:00.320 --> 00:02:02.322 And so in ten years,
 41
00:02:02.322 --> 00:02:05.258 I hope more people can see that and they can see stories of impact.
 42
00:02:05.258 --> 00:02:08.094 And our fellows have done some pretty cool things too.
 

There is no one path to take. We are more effective when our cohorts embody the breadth of life experiences of people across the country. Especially in technology, we know that there are so many non-traditional educational paths. At the U.S. Digital Corps, we all have varied backgrounds. We have almost 100 colleges and universities represented among our fellows and even more fields of study. We have career changers and former military, as well as many people who joined right out of school.

These days, I spend a lot of time in meetings. We now have a team of 10-15 program staff supporting over 120 Fellows, and there's a lot to discuss. On any given day, it may be Fellow learning and development (i.e. what kinds of trainings and topics we should facilitate), recruitment and selection of our next cohort, and helping Fellows and agencies troubleshoot individual issues. It definitely keeps me on my toes and requires a lot of context switching. 

Co-Founder & Deputy Director

Goals For The Future Of The U.S. Digital Corps

As a journalist, you get to see a lot of the behind the scenes.
 2
00:00:04.137 --> 00:00:05.905 So what kind of changes do you want to see?
 3
00:00:05.939 --> 00:00:09.743 What I want to see in tech is more, transparency.
 4
00:00:09.843 --> 00:00:12.812 And what I mean by that is more like auditability
 5
00:00:12.812 --> 00:00:15.682 where someone else could come in and really sort of, like,
 6
00:00:15.682 --> 00:00:18.318 hold you accountable for the things you say you care about
 7
00:00:18.318 --> 00:00:21.521 and that you want to make sure your tech actually is taking into account
 8
00:00:21.521 --> 00:00:24.024 whether that's values, bias, all that stuff.
 9
00:00:24.024 --> 00:00:27.360 We're getting to a place where people are really using technology
 10
00:00:27.427 --> 00:00:30.363 in a way that affects a lot of other people,
 11
00:00:30.363 --> 00:00:33.033 but they don't fully understand the technology.
 12
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:35.168 One of the big investigations
 13
00:00:35.168 --> 00:00:38.505 that we have done a whole series on is about the Meta Pixel.
 14
00:00:38.505 --> 00:00:39.939 The Meta Pixel is by Facebook.
 15
00:00:39.939 --> 00:00:43.510 The way you're supposed to use it is like, you know, I want to run ads on Facebook.
 16
00:00:43.610 --> 00:00:47.080 And, if I use this Pixel on my site, I can basically do that connection
 17
00:00:47.080 --> 00:00:49.482 where, like, you know, you are looking at boots
 18
00:00:49.482 --> 00:00:52.152 and you didn't buy it, but maybe you're really interested.
 19
00:00:52.152 --> 00:00:55.155 So when you're on Facebook, I could advertise those same boots to you.
 20
00:00:55.188 --> 00:00:59.526 And the people who are turning this tool on, basically in saying, like, yes,
 21
00:00:59.526 --> 00:01:04.097 I'm going to use it on my site, they tell us that they don't know about exactly
 22
00:01:04.097 --> 00:01:07.367 how it collects data from the people that are actually on their websites.
 23
00:01:07.434 --> 00:01:11.671 We have done an entire series of this, right? On people's private data
 24
00:01:11.704 --> 00:01:14.941 being leaked in this way. It's this marriage of your identity
 25
00:01:14.941 --> 00:01:18.745 with your personal information that then makes it really problematic.
 26
00:01:18.745 --> 00:01:23.316 We found it on like tax return websites. We found it on the A.C.T.'s website.
 27
00:01:23.316 --> 00:01:25.318 So if you're registering for the A.C.T.
 28
00:01:25.318 --> 00:01:29.222 Like it is everywhere and a lot of companies, as soon as we like,
 29
00:01:29.222 --> 00:01:33.493 investigate this and call them being like, what do you have to say about that?
 30
00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:35.762 A lot of them are like, what are you talking about?
 31
00:01:35.762 --> 00:01:38.164 What do you mean our website is doing this?
 32
00:01:38.164 --> 00:01:40.600 And it then becomes like a finger pointing game.
 

Each day, I work to create journalism that restores agency and sparks action. My role is about highlighting solutions communities already have, exposing systemic issues, and empowering readers to create change. Through collaborative efforts with individuals, organizations, and policymakers, I ensure our stories not only inform but also lead to tangible improvements in quality of life, giving people the tools they need to take action in a tech-driven world​.

Chief Impact Officer

We Need More Transparency In Tech

What are some of the findings from Beta NYC?
 2
00:00:02.736 --> 00:00:07.736 As an organization that's kind of like rooted in community, but also making sure that we're moving
 3
00:00:08.341 --> 00:00:10.643 forward, based upon research.
 4
00:00:10.643 --> 00:00:12.812 We had written this community manifesto
 5
00:00:13.146 --> 00:00:16.049 called The People's Roadmap to a Digital New York City,
 6
00:00:16.049 --> 00:00:18.385 which outlined a bunch of different policy ideas.
 7
00:00:18.385 --> 00:00:20.053 One of those policy ideas was that
 8
00:00:20.053 --> 00:00:23.790 we wanted to ensure that data literacy was equally accessible.
 9
00:00:23.890 --> 00:00:26.593 And we had started working on some open data classes.
 10
00:00:26.593 --> 00:00:29.195 We want to get these classes into the hands of community boards.
 11
00:00:29.195 --> 00:00:31.364 They're mostly an advisory board.
 12
00:00:31.364 --> 00:00:35.902 It's a way to decentralize power into the hands of New Yorkers.
 13
00:00:36.002 --> 00:00:37.404 You've got to fight for the users.
 14
00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:39.839 The only way that data is ever going to be improved
 15
00:00:39.839 --> 00:00:42.242 is by putting it into the hands of people finding out
 16
00:00:42.242 --> 00:00:45.378 what are the errors inside of that data, and then like making sure
 17
00:00:45.378 --> 00:00:47.480 that those errors get corrected and the tools
 18
00:00:47.480 --> 00:00:50.617 get implemented. We have a more informed position
 19
00:00:50.784 --> 00:00:54.287 we can operate, not from a sense of feeling an emotion,
 20
00:00:54.287 --> 00:00:59.287 but it can be rooted in some sense of fact and figures And so our initial findings
 21
00:00:59.959 --> 00:01:03.963 were to do a technology assessment of Manhattan's community boards.
 22
00:01:03.963 --> 00:01:05.932 And like, what do they need?
 23
00:01:05.932 --> 00:01:08.935 Because they, like nonprofits and other smaller
 24
00:01:08.935 --> 00:01:12.372 agencies, had been traditionally underfunded and under-resourced.
 25
00:01:12.372 --> 00:01:17.043 And yet the city was pushing more and more advisory responsibilities onto them.
 26
00:01:17.043 --> 00:01:21.514 And they had been and they were becoming even more so, our little tiny town halls.
 27
00:01:21.581 --> 00:01:24.851 So we wrote up this very comprehensive review of like,
 28
00:01:24.851 --> 00:01:27.921 what's needed for community boards to exist.
 29
00:01:28.054 --> 00:01:29.856 And then we started working off of those problems.
 30
00:01:29.856 --> 00:01:33.626 So we ended up building BoardStat, which is a 311 dashboard
 31
00:01:33.726 --> 00:01:36.830 for community boards that enables and takes 311 data,
 32
00:01:36.896 --> 00:01:41.134 which is geo coded for, community boards and gives them a platform to see
 33
00:01:41.134 --> 00:01:42.435 what are the 311 issues.
 34
00:01:42.435 --> 00:01:46.539 That led to a broader conversation on let's
 35
00:01:46.539 --> 00:01:50.143 use the demographics of these community districts,
 36
00:01:50.276 --> 00:01:53.413 which are dynamic and ever changing because
 37
00:01:53.413 --> 00:01:56.549 of gentrification and different types of housing development.
 38
00:01:56.816 --> 00:01:59.819 Let's make sure that we have that data and that information.
 39
00:01:59.986 --> 00:02:04.023 So that way, the community board is somewhat reflective of the neighborhood
 40
00:02:04.023 --> 00:02:07.293 that it's supposed to represent and that it's supposed to give consent.
 41
00:02:07.293 --> 00:02:10.196 Non homeowners should be on a community board.
 42
00:02:10.196 --> 00:02:13.199 People who bike to work should be on a community board.
 43
00:02:13.233 --> 00:02:15.468 People who have different living situations.
 44
00:02:15.468 --> 00:02:18.671 Unhoused individuals should be on a community board.
 45
00:02:18.671 --> 00:02:21.007 They should be representatives of the neighborhood.
 46
00:02:21.007 --> 00:02:24.811 So that helped us build other sophisticated tools
 47
00:02:25.078 --> 00:02:28.148 that help community boards become more diverse.
 48
00:02:28.281 --> 00:02:33.281 And so our foundations are really focused on workforce development,
 49
00:02:33.820 --> 00:02:37.724 making sure that community groups, nonprofits and elected officials
 50
00:02:37.724 --> 00:02:42.595 have easy access to digital and analytical solutions,
 51
00:02:42.929 --> 00:02:47.734 and making sure that, us as individuals inside of the city
 52
00:02:47.734 --> 00:02:52.734 from many walks of life, know how to use technology, data, and design to,
 53
00:02:53.139 --> 00:02:56.743 not only improve government operations, but then to improve
 54
00:02:56.976 --> 00:03:00.547 kind of our own understanding of the tools that we're using.
 

2024 TSOC Roadtrip
did-not-complete-college
entrepreneur

Find a local technology outlet. If you can't find a local outlet or a national program to participate with, I'd suggest working with your city council (or any other entity that you have access to within city government) and start networking. It'll take a while before you see change in government but it's important to stay connected. Think about your skills and how you can help tech nonprofits. If they can't leverage your particular talents, focus on how you can address their immediate needs.

Every day, I lead Beta NYC in using technology, data, and design to improve lives across New York City. My work involves bringing together diverse voices—technologists, community advocates, and policymakers—to create a government that’s accessible and centered on equity and opportunity. Whether we’re developing digital tools, offering training, or fostering collaboration, my focus is on empowering communities and ensuring technology serves everyone in this era of rapid change​.

Executive Director

Findings Of BetaNYC

Yeah, that makes sense.
 2
00:00:01.501 --> 00:00:05.138 And I think like, like right now there's also momentum for like policy.
 3
00:00:05.138 --> 00:00:07.607 I know you mentioned a little bit about like A.I. policy and regulation.
 4
00:00:08.608 --> 00:00:11.077 So like what are some things that you hope
 5
00:00:11.077 --> 00:00:15.015 like lawmakers and policymakers get right when it comes to A.I.?
 6
00:00:15.348 --> 00:00:17.317 Yes. Well, first and foremost, I would just love
 7
00:00:17.317 --> 00:00:19.285 some more laws to be passed.
 8
00:00:19.285 --> 00:00:22.088 I think we have like,
 9
00:00:22.088 --> 00:00:23.656 one big one, the EU A.I..
 10
00:00:23.656 --> 00:00:28.061 Act on the books, and I'm just like, yes, a win because like, that matters.
 11
00:00:28.194 --> 00:00:30.530 It's going to be a long road to even being able to enforce it.
 12
00:00:30.530 --> 00:00:32.399 But just getting to the point where we're like,
 13
00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:36.136 we all can look at this document and say, this is where we should be.
 14
00:00:36.202 --> 00:00:37.037 It's really helpful.
 15
00:00:37.037 --> 00:00:40.040 But other things that I think are going to be really important are,
 16
00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:41.508 well, two things.
 17
00:00:41.508 --> 00:00:45.345 One, dealing with algorithmic bias, because that enables us
 18
00:00:45.345 --> 00:00:48.815 to open up the conversation around why these biases exist.
 19
00:00:48.815 --> 00:00:52.986 What does it mean to have disparate outcomes in health care and housing
 20
00:00:52.986 --> 00:00:56.723 and education and how can we actually get at the root of those problems?
 21
00:00:56.723 --> 00:00:58.324 Right. This again, wishful thinking.
 22
00:00:58.324 --> 00:01:01.895 The other big thing is human alternative and like having humans in the loop.
 23
00:01:02.128 --> 00:01:06.299 so there's this idea that whenever you are using an A.I.
 24
00:01:06.299 --> 00:01:09.302 system, there should be a human that you can talk to to get around it.
 25
00:01:09.502 --> 00:01:12.705 And I like that as a balance because we can't just automate everything away.
 26
00:01:12.705 --> 00:01:14.741 Like some things really are human decisions.
 27
00:01:14.741 --> 00:01:18.778 You really do need a person you talk to like zero for operator Right.
 28
00:01:19.112 --> 00:01:19.379 Yeah.
 29
00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:22.649 I think those two being at the forefront of the conversation
 30
00:01:22.649 --> 00:01:26.352 would be really powerful for all the other changes that we want to make.
 

We use art and research to raise awareness about AI and help influence changemakers to build a better future. My work is focused in three pillars: amplifying the message and making information about AI more accessible, connecting with people who've experienced AI harms, and testifying these stories to policy makers and decision makers. A lot of my work is about communicating and translating technology. However, I do still spend my free time engineering and building as a creative outlet.

AI Researcher

Values

Hopes For The Future Of AI Policy

I'm curious.
 2
00:00:00.767 --> 00:00:03.837 So, like, when you talk about, like, education, do you mean like educating them
 3
00:00:03.837 --> 00:00:07.240 on the technology itself or like, what do you mean by education?
 4
00:00:08.875 --> 00:00:09.976 Actually, I kind of did both.
 5
00:00:09.976 --> 00:00:11.945 So I mentioned that I use the A.I. to teach it.
 6
00:00:11.945 --> 00:00:15.715 And so my thought was, How can we change the way that people use A.I.
 7
00:00:15.715 --> 00:00:17.784 in and outside of the classroom?
 8
00:00:17.784 --> 00:00:19.652 This technology can be extremely helpful.
 9
00:00:19.652 --> 00:00:20.653 Classrooms, a space
 10
00:00:20.653 --> 00:00:24.557 where there are so many challenges, like way too many students who all needed,
 11
00:00:24.557 --> 00:00:28.094 like differentiated instruction, teachers who are overloaded, especially,
 12
00:00:28.361 --> 00:00:30.663 you know, I came from a Title one public school, right?
 13
00:00:30.663 --> 00:00:34.501 So I lived and also witnessed the issues that are there.
 14
00:00:34.868 --> 00:00:36.603 So the question is, can technology help?
 15
00:00:36.603 --> 00:00:39.773 Well, yes, but only if people actually understand how it works.
 16
00:00:39.773 --> 00:00:44.110 Only if people have resources to bring it and resources to get the training.
 17
00:00:44.244 --> 00:00:48.048 the kind of education that I do is very much justice centered.
 18
00:00:48.515 --> 00:00:50.016 And so
 19
00:00:50.016 --> 00:00:53.386 everything that I learned in my computer engineering undergrad, super helpful.
 20
00:00:53.653 --> 00:00:57.090 None of it was contextualized and how this actually impacts people,
 21
00:00:57.257 --> 00:01:00.493 so I think that has to be more part of the conversation and that's why we have
 22
00:01:00.493 --> 00:01:03.496 to like actually pay Social Scientists Yeah,
 23
00:01:03.696 --> 00:01:06.599 we work together, pay people equally
 24
00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:09.769 to actually come up with solutions that are better.
 25
00:01:09.769 --> 00:01:13.273 I don't know if like perfect is the goal, the better.
 26
00:01:13.273 --> 00:01:15.642 It feels like a direction that we can move toward
 27
00:01:15.642 --> 00:01:18.912 And so I was thinking about, well, yes, I want to build technologies
 28
00:01:18.945 --> 00:01:21.514 specifically for the space, but help address those challenges.
 29
00:01:21.514 --> 00:01:25.485 But also I know that that doesn't work unless I'm also teaching people about it.
 30
00:01:25.485 --> 00:01:30.485 So I have to hand over to them the power to be able to use it with agency
 31
00:01:31.124 --> 00:01:31.257 That makes sense.
 

Educating People About AI

It seems like you're fairly optimistic
 2
00:00:01.468 --> 00:00:05.472 about technology, but I'm kind of curious, like, yeah, whether you are or not.
 3
00:00:05.672 --> 00:00:08.675 And then like, what advice would you give to us as we go on this journey?
 4
00:00:09.175 --> 00:00:12.445 I'm optimistic, but not about technology.
 5
00:00:12.445 --> 00:00:14.781 I'm optimistic about you guys.
 6
00:00:14.781 --> 00:00:16.416 I'm optimistic about people
 7
00:00:16.416 --> 00:00:21.221 who are now looking at technologies as ways to make society better.
 8
00:00:21.321 --> 00:00:25.091 And those technologies can be used for that purpose.
 9
00:00:25.291 --> 00:00:30.291 I also recognize that the incentives we have in play today are very strong.
 10
00:00:31.331 --> 00:00:33.033 They are unlikely to change.
 11
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:36.870 So I really think that the most effective thing we can do in the short
 12
00:00:36.870 --> 00:00:40.607 term is to keep up with these three fronts of agency.
 13
00:00:40.607 --> 00:00:43.910 The regulation, the developers and the users.
 14
00:00:43.910 --> 00:00:45.478 So it has to work in parallel.
 15
00:00:45.478 --> 00:00:49.983 And in terms of advice for you guys, to me, it's all about people.
 16
00:00:50.116 --> 00:00:52.352 all about the collaborators you find.
 17
00:00:52.352 --> 00:00:55.355 I never looked that much at the job itself,
 18
00:00:55.355 --> 00:00:58.458 but at the people who are related to the job.
 19
00:00:58.591 --> 00:01:01.227 And that makes the entire difference to me.
 20
00:01:01.227 --> 00:01:06.227 I really think that, to me at least, want to find a meaning, right?
 21
00:01:06.299 --> 00:01:11.299 The key for whatever you decide to do in this area is to find a spot
 22
00:01:11.337 --> 00:01:16.337 in which you can project yourself ten years, 20 years ahead and say,
 23
00:01:16.843 --> 00:01:20.880 when I tell this story of my life, this ten years, it was a meaningful story.
 24
00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:23.983 It was an intersection between
 25
00:01:23.983 --> 00:01:27.187 being happy and being helpful.
 26
00:01:27.187 --> 00:01:28.621 And it's ever changing.
 

I'm focused on guiding students in exploring how technology intersects with ethics and society, fostering critical discussions about its potential for public good. In the classroom, I emphasize the positives of digital innovation, challenging my students to envision how emerging technologies can address societal issues. My role is about teaching, inspiring, and rethinking how we define a good life in a tech-driven world​.

Goals

Inclusion And Progress

Inclusion And Progress

Michael D. Smith

446 videos on Goals: