Connect with us

Technology

National Funders Commit $25M to Center and Accelerate Responsible, Equitable and Ethical AI at Inaugural Joint California Summit on Generative AI

Published

4 months ago

on

OAKLAND, Calif., May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Kapor Foundation, Omidyar Network, and San Francisco Foundation announced a joint commitment to help fund organizations focused on centering equity in the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across different sectors at the inaugural Joint California Summit on Generative AI. These initial commitments are in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-12-23 signed back in September 2023, to study the development, use, and risks of AI technologies. A critical element of the implementation of this executive order includes ensuring that AI tools are developed and deployed equitably, ethically, and responsibly. This initial investment of $25M aims to drive immediate action and build momentum within the philanthropic sector during this key window of opportunity for impact.

“California has the distinction of being a longstanding global leader in technology, yet we have seen pervasive disparities in who creates technologies and who benefits from them. With the proliferation of AI technologies impacting all aspects of society, we must ensure we have a clear community informed stance on the responsible, equitable, and ethical development and use of these technologies and that they serve to uplift all communities, especially those historically marginalized,” said Allison Scott, PhD, CEO of Kapor Foundation. “It is our collective responsibility to create an infrastructure that not only fosters innovation but also safeguards the well-being and rights of all individuals.”

Kapor Foundation, Omidyar Network, and San Francisco Foundation believe that California is uniquely positioned to lead the nation in setting the standards of what responsible, equitable and ethical AI looks like and ensuring all Californians can benefit from its promise and potential. This will require investments across public, private, and nonprofit sectors to:

Invest in world-class education to ensure all students are prepared to be critical consumers and producers of emerging technologiesSupport new approaches to talent development and worker power to prepare the underrepresented workforce for jobs in the emerging technology sectorInvest in the development of new technologies and products to address critical inequities across sectors while producing economic gainsAdvocate to put appropriate regulation and accountability measures in place to protect from potential harms while spurring innovationInvesting in innovative solutions to solve the Bay Area’s housing crisis so that everyone can have affordable and secure housing

“We have a momentous opportunity before us to shape an AI future that prioritizes positive human and societal impacts. Omidyar Network aims to build a more inclusive AI infrastructure that centers the social impacts of generative AI, elevates a range of diverse voices in AI development and governance, and promotes innovation and competition to maximize AI’s promise. By bringing together California’s equity-centered stakeholders, from technologists and advocates, to activists, workers, philanthropies, and public sector leaders, we can transform today’s technological ecosystem to ensure innovation in service of society for years to come,” said Anamitra Deb, Managing Director, Responsible Tech at Omidyar Network.

These initial commitments aim to support action and advocacy to advance equitable AI that fosters a thriving multiracial democracy. In parallel, Kapor Foundation, Omidyar Network and the San Francisco Foundation will also work alongside academia, nonprofit, private & public sector organizations to co-design new initiatives that will help change the AI landscape in CA. These funders will also galvanize the philanthropic sector to invest in organizations focused on the use of responsible AI in education, workforce, innovation, and infrastructure.

“We know from prior experiences that new technologies can help to level the playing field and address disparities in access and opportunity, and at SFF we’re in the early stages of exploring the potential of AI to advance equity. But we also know that technology can widen gaps without intervention and diverse participation,” said Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation. “Right now, our goal is to deepen our understanding of how this technology will impact our communities and how we can ensure it benefits all of us.”

About Kapor Foundation
Working within the Kapor Center family of organizations to reimagine and reconstruct a more inclusive and equitable technology sector, the Kapor Foundation works at the intersection of racial equity and technology to expand access to K-12 computer science and postsecondary tech pathways, improve tech accountability and worker protections, and increase investments in infrastructure and innovation. We advocate for policy change, conduct research, support partners through strategic grantmaking, and invest in entrepreneurship and VC.

About Omidyar Network
Omidyar Network is a social change venture that reimagines critical systems, and the ideas that govern them, to build more inclusive and equitable societies—for the benefit of the many, not just the few—across the globe.

About San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation is committed to a Bay Area where everyone can get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and exercise their political voice. The foundation advances its work through grantmaking, partnerships with donors, policy advocacy, and impact investing.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-funders-commit-25m-to-center-and-accelerate-responsible-equitable-and-ethical-ai-at-inaugural-joint-california-summit-on-generative-ai-302158673.html

SOURCE Kapor Foundation

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Sparrow BioAcoustics closes 13 million in seed financing

Published

9 mins ago

on

September 20, 2024

By

The 13-million-dollar financing was led by Killick Capital, Klister Credit and Pelorus Ventures. Closing of the round represents a huge step forward for the small Canadian medical AI startup, and a big vote of confidence for their rapid progress.

ST. JOHN’S, NL , Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Sparrow BioAcoustics [Sparrow], a pioneer in the field of bioacoustic AI technology, announces the that it has closed its seed financing round. The 13-million-dollar financing was led by Killick Capital, Klister Credit and Pelorus Ventures. Closing of the round represents a huge step forward for the small Canadian medical AI startup, and a big vote of confidence for their rapid progress.

“There is a future where people can screen for cardiac and pulmonary problems anywhere any time, and that future is really close now” – Dr. Yaroslav Shpak, Chief Medical Officer Sparrow BioAcoustics.

“The team at Sparrow pushed past numerous scientific, regulatory and business obstacles to get this stage. They have accomplished things that will lead to helping millions of people in a whole new way” says Killick President Mark Dobbin.

Sparrow is an SaMD (Software as a Medical Device), and the first medically cleared product that uses people’s smartphones to capture and decipher cardiac sounds. “In the last 100 days, normal everyday people successfully made 30,000 medical grade heart recordings” says Chief Product Officer Nadia Ivanova. “People use the system with a 96% success rate on their first try.”

Sparrow has been in the news recently for several breakthroughs in detection of cardiac anomalies, as well as several medical authority clearances including FDA. “There is a future where people can screen for cardiac and pulmonary problems anywhere any time, and that future is really close now” says Dr. Yaroslav Shpak, Chief Medical Officer.

The team at Sparrow is expected to follow up with further announcements in the coming weeks “We have some big things on the horizon, and we are heads-down getting ready” says CEO Mark Attila Opauszky.

To learn more about Stethophone and Sparrow BioAcoustics, please visit https://stethophone.com/.

About Sparrow BioAcoustics

Sparrow BioAcoustics, with offices in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, is leading the Software as a Medical Device industry in new directions for cardiac and pulmonary disease detection. Our team of physicians, engineers and data scientists are working to unlock the richest source of diagnostic information about cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Our mission is to help the millions of people at-risk and suffering from cardiac and respiratory disease to live longer, healthier lives enabled by earlier detection and quicker treatment.

Media Contact

Mark Opauszky, Sparrow BioAcoustics, 1 416 268 8966, mark@sparrowacoustics.com, https://stethophone.com/.

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/sparrow-bioacoustics-closes-13-million-in-seed-financing-302253893.html

SOURCE Sparrow BioAcoustics

Continue Reading

Technology

Huawei Cloud: One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence

Published

9 mins ago

on

September 20, 2024

By

SHANGHAI, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — During HUAWEI CONNECT 2024, Huawei Cloud hosted a Summit themed “One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence”, gathering global industry leaders to explore the intelligent transformation trend, share pioneering cases, and assist customers in their journey to cloud-based operational excellence. At the summit, Huawei Cloud and global customers, unveiled the Data Center-to-Cloud solution and the PRIME Framework white paper.

Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, said: “Customers’ support enables us to innovate with finance, retail, autonomous driving, the Internet and many other sectors. By combining cutting-edge technologies with industry know-how, Huawei Cloud paves your way to digital and intelligence.”

Kevin Gao, President of Huawei Cloud Public Cloud Business, presented a keynote speech “One Step to Intelligence, One Leap to Excellence”. He outlined three critical factors for accelerating cloud migration and AI use: global infrastructure, continuous technological innovation, and lean operations.

In terms of global infrastructure, Huawei Cloud’s global infrastructure, KooVerse, offers extensive coverage, exceptional experience, and excellent quality. With 33 Regions and 93 Availability Zones (AZs) worldwide, Huawei Cloud supports over 10,000 customers in achieving business globalization. Huawei Cloud has interconnected with over 2,400 peers of global carriers, ensuring one hop to cloud and global business deployment for customers. Huawei Cloud data centers achieve Tier IV reliability.

Technological innovation is at the heart of Huawei Cloud’s mission to accelerate enterprise transformation. At this summit, three key areas were highlighted: compute upgrade, data-AI convergence, and application innovation.

The Data Center-to-Cloud solution released by Gao offers data center facilities, intelligent O&M, and DCN as a service, allowing customers to easily relocate and run dedicated compute resources on Huawei Cloud.

Huawei Cloud’s Ascend AI Cloud Service enables training jobs to run non-stop up to 40 days, shortens the fault recovery time to 10 minutes, and increases the linear scalability to 90% (the industry average are 2.8 days, 60 minutes, and 80%, respectively).

Huawei Cloud’s deterministic operations system has been adopted by over 300 global customers, maintaining a strong security record with zero intrusions and zero data breaches. 

DeFacto from Türkiye leverages Huawei Cloud’s cloud native solution with Cloud Container Engine (CCE) and streamlines their services.

Huawei Cloud helps Chery to deploy, use, and manage the cloud. Currently, Huawei Cloud nodes in more than 10 countries and regions are providing services for Chery.

NavInfo has adopted Huawei Cloud’s R&D expertise and CodeArts software development pipeline to establish efficient development management standards and efficiency measurement systems.

Kingsoft and Huawei Cloud have collaboratively developed an excellence framework to optimize cost management.

Tencent Music’s Tianqin Lab has developed the MUSELight AI model acceleration framework, utilizing Huawei Cloud’s Ascend AI Cloud Service.

At the end of the summit, Huawei Cloud and global customers jointly released the Enterprise Excellence PRIME Model White Paper. This white paper offers a reference framework for enterprises to leap to excellence with digital and intelligent technologies.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2510990/Jacqueline_Shi_President_Huawei_Cloud_Global_Marketing_Sales_Service.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2510991/Kevin_Gao_President_Huawei_Cloud_Public_Cloud_Business.jpg 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-cloud-one-step-to-intelligence-one-leap-to-excellence-302254392.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Spatial Labs Unveils Fashion Collection: Core Powered by Circle: A New Way to Connect

Published

9 mins ago

on

September 20, 2024

By

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Spatial Labs, a cutting-edge technology and design company, introduces their first fashion collection – Core Powered by Circle—a revolutionary step forward in fashion and how we connect with each other.

The Core collection is the first to leverage the new innovative platform Circle, which transforms the way we engage, share, and build relationships. Core marks the beginning of a new era in personal expression and connection – setting a new standard for fashion and for global brands.

The Core collection embodies Spatial Labs’ commitment to innovation, self-expression, and cultural impact. Each piece offers a new way to interact, making fashion a living reflection of personal identity.

The debut Core collection features essential pieces including Core Tee $120, Core Crewneck $220, Core pants $250 and Core Hoodie $320. The collection comes in five colorways including: Arctic, Titanium, Carbon, Rust, and Moss. The Core collection is made in Los Angeles and debuts online and at the flagship store in Culver City at The Platform, where customers can explore the future of fashion and experience the technology firsthand.

“Our vision with Circle is to build a platform that allows people to interact with the world around them in ways never before possible,” said Iddris Sandu, Founder & CEO of Spatial Labs.

“In a world where our connections have become fragmented and often impersonal, Circle is reimagining how we share and preserve moments. It’s not just about social networks; it’s about building a new interaction layer where everyday objects and experiences tell our stories in real-time.”

Sandu continued: “With Core and Circle, we’re pioneering a future where the objects we own,wear and touch are gateways to personal memories and shared experiences. This is not some far-off vision—it’s here, today, and it’s creating opportunities for everyone to showcase their lives in ways that feel more intimate, more authentic, and ultimately more human.”

Each item in the Core collection is embedded with smart chip technology linked to Circle which allows users to personalize their clothing. Circle users can post to their feed using “Tiles” to share photos, videos, links, playlists, and more moments from their daily life, creating deeper connections and fostering a sense of community. And it all comes to life when users tap the Tag on each other’s clothing.

Circle offers an alternative space for individuals to express themselves, allowing users to share their lives more authentically and intimately. Unlike traditional social media sharing tools that often feel impersonal, overly curated, and limiting, Circle keeps you and your close circle of friends connected, enabling a depth of presence to share your stories in real time without any expectations of maintaining a perfect image.

To learn more about Spatial Labs and to purchase the Core collection please visit www.spatial-labs.com or explore at the flagship store located at Spatial Labs Store – #104, 8840 Washington Blvd, Suite 104, Culver City, CA 90232, and engage with the future of interactivity.

About Spatial Labs

Founded in 2019, Spatial Labs exists to simplify and enhance people’s lives by bringing the digital and physical worlds together. Through innovative products and services, we help people create and enjoy experiences that inspire joy. Our mission is to make technology a natural part of the human experience and empower people to shape the world they want to see.

Founder and CEO, Iddris Sandu is a visionary technologist and designer who has been at the intersection of technology and fashion for many years. He has collaborated with leading tech companies like Google, Meta, and Twitter, and at only 19, Iddris became the CTO for Nipsey Hussle – creating The Marathon Store which was the world’s first Smart Store powered by augmented reality and geofencing technology.

His unique blend of technology and culture led him to create Spatial Labs in 2019, backed by Blockchain Capital and JAY-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. In 2019, he founded Spatial Labs where he has collaborated with brands like Rihanna’s Fenty, Beyoncé’s IVY PARK, Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack, Vogue, Prada, and Adidas. At only 27 years old, Sandu is one of the youngest founders ever to raise an eight figure seed round for his technology company, Spatial Labs. 

Technologies developed at Spatial Labs helps people, brands, and communities tell richer, more meaningful stories.

CONTACT:
Spatial Labs
press@spatial-labs.com

SLATE PR
Andy Gelb / Ida Bo Frazier
310-461-0111
andy@slate-pr.com / Ida@slate-pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spatial-labs-unveils-fashion-collection-core-powered-by-circle-a-new-way-to-connect-302254395.html

SOURCE Spatial Labs

Continue Reading

Trending