James E. Francis is a distinguished entrepreneur and diversity advocate, celebrated for his role as the founder and CEO of Paradigm Asset Management, a top-tier, data-driven asset management firm on Wall Street. In addition, he is the visionary behind BlackChatai.ai, a pioneering platform committed to dismantling barriers in awareness, access, and understanding of AI technologies for underrepresented communities. 

A Morehouse College alumnus, James is based in New York City, where he is committed to influence both the technological and financial landscapes with his innovative and inclusive approaches.

In this episode, Shereen and James Francis discuss the implications of generative AI, particularly focusing on its impact on the Black community, James emphasises the following:

• the historical contributions of Black innovators to AI development
• the evolutionary nature of AI and its current significance in various sectors
• potential discriminatory outcomes and privacy concerns arising from biased data and the lack of community involvement in AI development.
• strategies to mitigate against AI threats
• opportunities for AI concerning economic empowerment, accessibility and personal development