For all AI’s problems, some experts at an HBCU innovation summit think it might bring out our humanity

A lot of the discussion at the second annual HBCUniverse Summit in Baltimore last weekend revolved around AI, including the ways it can boost productivity — and how it might actually make us more human. 

Several presenters encouraged attendees to consider AI systems as assistants instead of threats. Noelle Russell, founder of Fifty One AI, gave a presentation on “Making your first million with AI.” During that, she advised listeners to lean into human skills — think creativity and empathy — and outsource the technical and repeatable processes to AI. 

Hosted this year at Morgan State University, the summit brings together students, entrepreneurs, investors and service providers to pave the way for emerging Black and brown innovators. Though historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are more common further south, the sense of community at the event demonstrated how these educational institutions support each other around the country — including through collaborations like the Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship, which counts Morgan State as a member.  

The summit is organized each year by Venture for T.H.E.M. (Tech High-performers & Entrepreneurial Minorities), an organization that supports founders from HBCUs through various programs and collaborations with entities like the Howard and PNC center. 

Readers might recognize Kiante Bush, Technical.ly’s 2023 Tech Community Leader of the Year and Venture for T.H.E.M.’s cofounder and CEO. Over the years, he’s become a recognized ecosystem builder, particularly for entrepreneurs at HBCUs. His cofounder, COO Clarevonte “Clay” Williams, just last month became director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Morgan State.

Most attendees came from Baltimore, but some traveled from DC and Philadelphia — and one person even flew in from Chicago, according to Dent Education CEO Micky Wolf.

Beyond the panels and presentations, the summit also designated time and space for attendees to check out local vendors and early-stage companies like Jay’s Watermelonade and Monneah’s Engineered Materials. Local STEAM education nonprofits like Dent Education and Real Digitized were also in attendance, recruiting for their various entrepreneurial and maker programs. Big tech firms like Google and Microsoft and local anchor institutions like Fulton Bank offered information about their internship programs, scholarships and resources. 

The intentional partnering and recruiting of small businesses, nonprofit partners and corporate sponsors solidified that HBCUs drive economies and innovation ecosystems — especially in Baltimore. Here are some highlights from some of the conference. 

AI to help us understand, and not ignore, our humanity

Seema Alexander, founder of Virgent AI and a panelist at TEDCO’s Entrepreneurship Expo, moderated a discussion between a power couple: Jeremy and Shayla Treadwell, Ph.D., cofounders of the tech consultancy Treadwell Agency. The panel explored various dimensions of how AI intersects with the human condition. 

Shayla, who holds a Ph.D in business psychology and organizational leadership, pointed out that AI forces us to reconsider what makes us uniquely human. 

Some AI systems have reportedly come close to passing the Turing Test, an assessment to determine an AI system’s ability to display human intelligence and “behavior” through conversation. While none have fully succeeded so far, advances in computation power might make AI more effective at gathering information and “sensing” than humans. 

She also mentioned “data amnesia,” a term used in psychology to describe how humans may forget information like phone numbers and birthdays because it’s stored in digital devices. She believes we might fall into similar tendencies with AI. 

So, as everything becomes automated and AI gets smarter, how can we maintain and practice our humanity? Shayla offered some specific advice. 

“Be curious,” she said. “Curiosity is the biggest thing you can do.” 

Jeremy, pulling from the Institute for the Future’s Future Skills Project, encouraged practicing sensemaking, social intelligence, “novel and adaptive thinking,” and new media literacy — something that he anticipated becoming more integral in an increasingly automated world.

A mindset for a future with AI 

“AI won’t replace you — people who understand how to use AI will,” Shayla said, rephrasing a quote often associated with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. 

Alexander also cited the World Economic Forum’s latest Future of Jobs Report, which predicted AI would create 170 million jobs while displacing nearly 92 million other jobs. Asked what industries would likely experience the brunt of displacement, Shayla mentioned transit, in-person retail and other industries that rely on in-person services. 

“I actually think that every industry will be touched in some shape, form or fashion, but some would probably touch more than others,” she said. “It’s all about the low-hanging fruit. What are the easy things that we’re doing that we’re not using our humanistic computation power [for]?” 

Jeremy also predicted that in 10 years, AI would be “more consistent.” 

“It can help me transform my information into intellect and even moreso into wisdom,” he said. “We’ll have this ability to have a higher level thought, and use, of our human values, and really define what humanity looks like when you don’t have to deal with the manual interfaces of technology.” 

“AI does not have a purpose. You do,” he added. “So use that as a force multiplier to achieve the things you want to do.”