Kingmakers of Oakland, a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the education of young Black boys and men, invites students to combine creativity and artificial intelligence in an interactive lab this weekend.
Organizers of “Kings in the Making: The AI² Lab—Ancestral × Artificial Intelligence” call it a “one-of-a-kind creative experience for Black boys to explore identity, self-expression and ancestral wisdom using emerging AI tools.”
The free session, which runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Envision Academy of Arts and Technology in Oakland, focuses on culturally grounded learning. Middle and high-school student participants learning from industry professionals will use tools including ChatGPT, music-making software and storytelling prompts rooted in African diasporic traditions.
Professionals leading the session are: Theo Hollingsworth, Kingmakers of Oakland director of digital media and strategic growth, and a former producer at Pixar; Senay Alkebu-Lan, Fashion Lab program manager and founder of Futurisme Studios; Miles Dotson, tech builder, investor and strategic partner with HiiWav; Gemeny Givens III, AI researcher and former educator at The Hidden Genius Project; Leandrew Robinson, founder of PosterChild.ai, a marketing company helping nonprofits to raise funds by using AI-powered storytelling; Jonas Fleur-Aime, founding software engineer at PosterChild; and Damien McDuffie, a brand strategist, writer and founder of Black Terminus AR, an augmented reality studio assisting clients in AR projects for phones and tablets.
To reserve a spot at the lab, go here.
“Kings in the Making” is at 8 a.m. Jan. 17 at Envision Academy of Arts & Technology. 1515 Webster St., Oakland. Visit kingmakersofoakland.org/events.