This Saturday, hundreds of Black Atlantans attended free training provided by Van Jones’ charity, a one-day, one-of-a-kind program on artificial intelligence techniques.
The annual Atlanta Tech Week culminated this Saturday, June 15 at the Loudermilk Conference Center with the Dream Machine AI Academy, presented by Microsoft, Amazon and CodeBlack.
The Academy, which attracted 950 RSVPs, gave locals the chance to gain first-hand knowledge from some of AI’s most innovative technologists, musicians, CEOs and inventors, including:
King Willonius
X. Eyeé, CEO Malo Santo
Jeff Clanagan, founder of CodeBlack Films
Diya Wynn, Head of Responsible AI at Amazon Web Service
and many others who participated in lectures, fireside chats and immersive learning experiences.
A vibrant June block party, featuring local talent DJ Resse and DJ Vitillaz, marked the end of the day.
At a time when many people are worried or afraid of artificial intelligence (in a pre-event survey, 28% of attendees said they were “terrified of AI but trying to understand it”), the goal of this event was to give the people of Atlanta access to the black community to a world of creativity, opportunity and possibility.
“Black people are some of the most creative people in the world,” Van Jones said. “AI tools are the most powerful creative tools in history. By bringing the two together, we hope that positive miracles will happen in our community.
Participants had access to a range of interactive courses on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which taught them how to use AI to boost creativity, grow their business or integrate it into everyday life.
Business and grassroots groups in Atlanta were expected to take inspiration from the day to think about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, it gave them the tools and insights they needed to use AI to completely transform the way work, education, and all things creative will be done in the future.
Community experts and industry leaders facilitated the workshops. You can find the full schedule of sessions and speakers here.
Among the day’s highlights, Vince “The Voice” Bailey used Microsoft Copilot, a chatbot with generative artificial intelligence, to create character-based avatars. Participants could then use their voices to bring the characters to life. Additionally, Mr. Grateful, creator of innovative technology company Grateful Labs, teaches attendees how to create a custom GPT that will improve their businesses and brands.
Committed to empowering people economically, promoting social justice and using technology to bring about positive change, Van Jones previously hosted such a summit in Los Angeles alongside Grammy Award-winning musician, William.i.am. Ashton Kutcher, Quincy Jones III, Black Innovation Alliance CEO Kelly Burton, artist and advocate Joy Buolamwini, Grammy Award-winning producer and instrumentalist Larrance Dopson, and many other renowned musicians, artists, innovators, and experts attended the event, which aimed to increase the number of Black and brown leaders shaping the development and deployment of AI and other advanced technologies.
