Do Black Faces Not Count As Faces?

This summer we launched a campaign called “How Do We Become the We?” inspired by a Ted Talk that posed a critical question,“What kind of AI do we want to build or allow to be built? We must choose what AIs we bring into the world, or not.”

As the presenter repeatedly used the word “we,” we asked our students, Are we part of the ‘we’ being referenced? The consensus was clear - they didn’t think so. Yet, we all agreed on one truth: that certain problems will never be solved unless those most impacted are at the center of creating the solutions.  That’s why it critical that we become the “we.”

One of the most powerful creations to emerge from this exploration is Black Faces, a moving spoken word that was named the winner of Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s Algorithmic Justice League Cypher Competition. Dr. Joy, best-selling author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, has long inspired our work.

We invite you to watch their video above and witness the power of Black Faces—a bold reminder of why we must work to redefine who gets to shape the future of AI.

Credits:
Writing and Performance by iFp Innovators Liya, Soley, and Meron
Images in collaboration with Mid Journey