Van Jones Set To Host Juneteenth AI Academy In Atlanta
Written by Josh Glicksman on June 16, 2024
Juneteenth weekend in Atlanta, a time to celebrate Black liberation, will be further enriched by an artificial intelligence (AI) summit. This event, adding some razzle dazzle to all the festivities, is a testament to the progress and potential of the Black and Brown community in the field of AI.
Political commentator and renowned CNN host Van Jones is hosting the Juneteenth AI Summit on June 15 at the Loudermilk Conference Center in Atlanta. The all-day event is free and open to the public and aims to equip Black and Brown students, young and established professionals, small business owners, and others with the tools to be at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution and spearhead the future of tech innovation. Hosting it in Atlanta was a no-brainer, as Jones sees the southern city as a real-life Wakanda.
“We are trying to make sure that the most creative people in the world, which are black people, actually start using the most powerful creative tools, which is AI,” Jones said in an interview with Ebony.
He continued: “We’re trying to start a movement to make Wakanda real. And we’re not joking around. We don’t mean that metaphorically; we mean that for real.”
Jones believes there is an incredible opportunity for Black creatives, innovators, and entrepreneurs to leverage that technology to advance their ideas and passions. Based on Black people’s ingenuity and influence on previous technology trends, utilizing AI is a natural next step in the progression of the Black community’s contribution to the world.
“Black people took two turntables, a microphone, and one streetlamp and created hip-hop culture, which took over planet Earth. And it’s bigger now than Rock and Roll, Country music, and every other music form combined,” Van explained. “Twitter (now X) would have been nothing without Black Twitter. We take stuff, and we put life into it in a way that no other culture does. And so, I think we should get in first, dominate it, control it, own it, push it forward.”
The one-day event will be an immersive experience, offering unique opportunities for participants to learn and network. They will have hands-on interactions they can use to advance their ideas. Workshops will include AI Filmmaking & Storytelling, AI Economics and Big Business, AI and Music, and Learning to Build Your Own ChatGPT. Industry experts from Amazon, Microsoft, McKinsey & Co., Meroxa, Path.AI, and Seed.AI will lead the sessions, providing a chance to learn from the best in the field.
Interested parties can register for the event here. At the end of the day, participants will have the chance to attend a Juneteenth block party with food and drinks.
