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In this episode of Financial Freestyle with Ross Mac, Mac sits down with none other than New York Times bestselling author, Dream Machine Innovation Lab founder, and CNN contributor Van Jones.
Jones reflects on his father’s sacrifices to lift their family out of poverty, as well as his early career as a lawyer in the Bay Area fighting for civil rights. “I was the first person to use a relational computer database attached to a hotline to track problem officers, precincts, and practices in the nineties. Back when that was considered really radical and also very technologically forward.”
Today, Jones continues to view technology as a powerful tool for change. His latest focus as the founder of the Dream Machine Innovation Lab is on using AI technology to create opportunities for overlooked communities.
While AI is still somewhat misunderstood and seen as a threat to jobs, Jones counters, “AI is not [going to] replace you. Somebody [who] knows how to use AI is [going to] replace you. Is the most important thing that we can come away with because that gives people a reason to look at the stuff,” Jones continues. “Rather than thinking about it like the Terminator, think about it like C-3PO or R 2-D2.”
When asked why he’s so focused on AI, Jones put it simply: “99% of Black people don’t know anything about AI… And 99% of white folk don’t either… which means this is the first time you’re ever [going to] experience something called equality. Okay. We’re all equally ignorant about new stuff.”
The level playing field, according to Jones, is a chance to disrupt the status quo and drive meaningful change. “So that’s my, that’s, that’s my passion. And when I look at this next generation that’s coming up, I just see nothing but genius, magic, and opportunity, said Jones.
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This post was written by John Tejada.
