Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. It’s easy to assume that just because you can use AI for something that you should use AI for everything. People are already using it to create websites, images, and videos. These uses of AI do not carry a lot of penalties if something is wrong (depending on what you are building). However, an area in which people are increasingly using AI and should be cautious is the legal system — navigating legal issues, creating legal documents, or doing legal research. Ever since the release of ChatGPT over 2 years ago, we have seen people rush to bring AI to the world of professional services. Founders and investors alike have increasingly seen opportunity in leveraging AI to help in-house attorneys become more effective, and the everyday citizen has been looking to use AI instead of paying the cost of employing an attorney. Legal tech companies have made it their mission to reinvent legal professions and...

The Trump Administration is moving to eliminate grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The Trump Administration is asking the Supreme Court in an “emergency application” to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to cut millions of grants related to diversity initiatives, the New York Times reports . This would require blocking a ruling issued by U.S. District Judge William G. Young of the Federal District Court of Massachusetts, who views the current administration’s actions as racially discriminatory as well as prejudiced against LGBTQ+ individuals for cancelling various research grants around gender identity and health equity. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Florida A&M University (FAMU) lost $16.3 million in grant funding from the NIH, which had been renewed in 2024 and was scheduled to remain active through 2029. The grant was intended to help the HBCU’s pharmacy school and its Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program, which produces...

Two powerhouses in tech and beauty — Black Girls Code and The Doux — have launched the Black Beauty AI Challenge, a new competition empowering Black girls and young women to shape how AI understands Black beauty, according to a news release. With cash prizes, national recognition, and a New York City gallery showcase up for grabs, the competition blends innovation with cultural impact. Black Beauty AI Challenge Details And Prizes The challenge invites U.S.-based girls and young women, ages 13 to 25, to produce 60–90 second AI-generated videos showcasing their unique perspectives on Black beauty, style, and culture, per the release. Participants can enter through two age tracks: Youth Track: 13–17 Young Adult Track: 18–25 To ensure accessibility, prize-eligible entries must use free AI tools like Kaiber.ai, Runway ML, Luma Labs, Pika, CapCut, or Canva. Entries made with paid tools can earn honorary recognition but not cash prizes. No prior experience with coding or tech is necessary...

Bobby Wagner is already laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy beyond the field. Wagner was drafted to the NFL in 2012 by the Seattle Seahawks and now represents the Washington Commanders. According to Spotrac, the linebacker has earned $109.5 million over his career so far. Wagner also served as his own agent to negotiate his last four contracts, such as a five-year deal valued at $65 million with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, CNBC reports. Now, it appears Wagner is working to increase his business acumen as a student at Howard University, notes The Dig at Howard University. He is enrolled in the HBCU’s Master of Business Administration program. Additionally, Howard is the only HBCU listed on Bloomberg Businessweek’s top business schools in the U.S. “There is a lot of excitement around having a prominent NFL player and someone who is doing great things off the field choose Howard University as his institution of choice,” said Mariko Carson, Ed.D., director of graduate affairs...

President Donald Trump has signed another executive order pertaining to AI. However, this time, it’s requiring AI companies that work with the federal government to remove “ideological agendas” from their models. “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which was ordered on Jan. 25, 2025, mandates that agencies only use large language models (LLMs) aligned with “Unbiased AI Principles” focused on truth-seeking and ideological neutrality, per a White House Fact Sheet released on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. On the same day, Trump unveiled his “AI Action Plan.” “This order revokes certain existing AI policies and directives that act as barriers to American AI innovation, clearing a path for the United States to act decisively to retain global leadership in artificial intelligence,” the order states. Under the order, AI tools must prioritize “historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity” — while avoiding outputs influenced by frameworks like...

A feature prioritizing women’s safety is launching by a major rideshare company, but there are already women entrepreneurs who have been paving the way. Uber’s Latest Feature Promoting Women’s Safety CBS News reports that Uber will roll out a “Women Preferences” feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit , which will allow women users to select women drivers for their rides. This follows just over a year since Lyft also launched its Women + Connect feature, according to a press release. In a statement, Uber confirms there was a demand from U.S. women riders and drivers who wanted to match with other women. The company had already rolled out the feature in 40 countries, fulfilling 100 trips. It’s important to note that women riders also have the option to pre-book drivers, but should expect longer wait times, as only one in five Uber drivers are women. “We would like to get this into as many cities as we can during this pilot phase,” said Camiel Irving, Uber VP of operations...

Walmart is investing in AI to power its next phase of digital transformation. On Thursday (July 24), it announced four AI-powered “super agents” designed to improve customer experience and “streamline operations,” Reuters reports. The goal is to grow e-commerce to 50% of total sales within five years. According to Reuters, the new AI agents, which are tailored for shoppers, associates, suppliers, and developers, are built on agentic AI, a technology designed to perform complex tasks with minimal human input. Sparky And The Shopper Experience Sparky, a generative AI tool, is already live in the Walmart app, Reuters reports. Customers can use it to get product suggestions, find printer ink, summarize product reviews, and more. Per the outlet, as a super agent, it will soon be able to reorder frequently purchased items, plan events, and suggest recipes using computer vision to scan fridge contents, according to Hari Vasudev, Walmart’s U.S. chief technology officer. Internal Tools For...

HBCUs for the win! According to an updated economic report released in November 2024, Morgan State University contributes $1.5 billion annually to Maryland’s economy, supports approximately 8,200 jobs directly and indirectly, and generates an estimated $71 million in state tax revenues. Additionally, Morgan State University, located in Baltimore, MD, contributes $891 million specifically to Baltimore City’s economy and $1.4 billion to the Baltimore metro area, a news release notes. Morgan State University’s economic impact has been on the rise since 2018, scaling from an estimated $1 billion. Based on the press release, the increase is also a result of several key strategic moves over the “past 15 years,” which includes $1.2 billion in capital investments. Some updates include a $171-million Health and Human Services Center unveiled in October 2024, supporting students entering fields such as nursing, physical therapy, nutritional science, and social work throughout the nation and...

AFROTECH™ is going global. The annual AFROTECH™ Conference is designed to expose Black professionals to innovation and wealth-building opportunities within sectors that include AI, marketing and advertising, cybersecurity and risk, product and design, fintech, esports, and government and civics. Additionally, it is a launchpad to endless networking conversations, funding opportunities, and your next career move. Wells Fargo employee Aaron McBee credits the 2022 AFROTECH™ Conference for helping him land a role at the company, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “AFROTECH™ is designed for impact, to reduce the likelihood that you need luck to be successful in the corporate environment. And the moment that AFROTECH™ doesn’t actually have that impact is the moment I’m out,” Blavity Co-Founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun said in a video posted on Instagram. “People get jobs at AFROTECH™. We have interview pods on-site. People get interviews, and companies will literally — I had one company the...

The Gathering Spot has secured strategic funding. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, The Gathering Spot, co-founded by Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen, is a private membership club that has made its way to major cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston. The Gathering Spot, which prides itself on creating an inviting and collaborative atmosphere, recently rolled out The Retreat, a 60,000-square-foot space that includes a pool, private dining rooms, and cabanas, all while overlooking Atlanta’s skyline. “I wanted our community to have access to the best spaces around,” Wilson said on “The Black Tech Green Money” podcast. “This is world class space that we we can go head-to-head with any favorite rooftop that you have around. It really is that sort of product. But the second thing is that I’ve always known that people connect or want to connect for different reasons.” He added, “If there’s a meaningful community conversation...

Amen Rahh, widely known as “Principal Rahh,” is a nationally recognized educator and best-selling author from Compton, CA, who first gained attention after leading a South Los Angeles high school to a 100% graduation rate. However, his mission took an unexpected turn. One of his students, Keon — an unhoused teen in foster care — had been accepted to Tuskegee University but couldn’t afford the final $480 he needed to attend. “He thought, ‘If I can get this $400, I can get out,'” Rahh told AFROTECH™. “Tragically, he lost his life before he could.” Rahh learned the news while working on his doctorate at UCLA and says the loss changed everything. “At [age] 34, I left my job and started a tech company to transform education,” Rahh said. The company — Knowlej — is using fintech innovation to reimagine what’s possible for underserved students nationwide. The Classroom To Real Life Since its 2023 launch, the fintech app Knowlej has reached more than 30,000 students, according to Rahh. He...

Joe Budden might have gone from chart-topping rapper to podcast host, but today, he’s building a business on his own terms. The 44-year-old podcaster recently gave The New York Times a rare look into the numbers behind his booming podcast network. According to Ian Schwartzman, CEO of the Joe Budden Network, the company is projected to generate more than $20 million in 2025, the outlet reports. When A Flex Turns Into A Teachable Moment In June, Budden posted a screenshot on Instagram showing his Patreon traffic — Patreon being the fan-funded platform where his most loyal supporters subscribe for exclusive content. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the image accidentally revealed he made just over $900,000 in earnings that month, sparking headlines and internet buzz. The image showed more than 30 million visits in 30 days, per The New York Times. Budden confirmed to The New York Times that his podcast network brings in an average of $1.04 million per month through Patreon alone, based...

Former Division I athlete Nyla Pollard is now innovating in the sports world as a founder. Ballin AI In 2023, Pollard, along with a team of coaches, evaluators, and seasoned AI engineers, launched Ballin AI, a sports technology company that helps high school and college athletes assess their performance and serves as a recruiting resource for coaches, its website mentions. Through the platform, athletes can gain insight into how they are playing as well as how college coaches view their game. Players upload their film, which is then analyzed by a nationally recognized evaluator and scored across key criteria such as defense, shooting, rebounding, scoring, transition, ball handling, and finishing. This platform was a three-year effort led by Ballin AI Chief Development Officer Tenishia Benson, Pollard mentioned on LinkedIn. “Our report gives you an in-depth look at your skills, shooting, defense, and IQ to show you where you’re thriving, but also where you need to improve,” Pollard...

Atlanta-based social media startup Fanbase has reached a significant fundraising milestone — surpassing $12.7 million in its ongoing $17 million equity crowdfunding campaign, according to an Instagram post by founder and music industry executive Isaac Hayes III. Marking a shift in the broader tech landscape , Fanbase is bypassing traditional venture capital and turning everyday people into investors — offering the public a chance to own a piece of the platform for as little as $3.99. After reaching its $10 million equity crowdfunding goal in 2024 — a historic achievement that reportedly made Hayes the first Black man to raise this amount in a seed round via StartEngine under Regulation Crowdfunding — Fanbase launched this new $17 million Reg A equity crowdfunding campaign, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “We have a plan, and we’re going to be able to scale and build the business in real time without having to stop and start and stop and start,” Hayes told AFROTECH™ Brand Manager...

In the latest twist to the nation’s student debt crisis, the U.S. Department of Education has quietly suspended student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, Forbes reports. According to the outlet, the department confirmed earlier this month that it paused processing student loan discharges for IBR borrowers. This includes those who’ve already reached their 20- or 25-year forgiveness milestone. IBR Is Not Part of the Court Battle — So Why the Pause? IBR forgiveness is not affected by the current lawsuits challenging other federal student loan programs, though it does — like them —  determine a borrower’s monthly payment based on that person’s income and family size. According to Forbes, last year, several Republican-led states sued the Biden administration to block the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, a newer income-driven repayment option. Federal courts responded by halting SAVE and forgiveness under two older plans, Income-Contingent Repayment...