The data tides are changing. Between the influx of regulations, Apple's new privacy controls, and greater concern around privacy issues, it's clear enterprises won't be able to collect and leverage data as they have been for much longer. Streamlytics, a Miami-based data provider founded in 2018, believes letting users sell their data could be part of the solution. The company has already collected more than 75 million data points this way and says it aims to "democratize" data by giving users more control and then selling the user-supplied data to enterprises -- from media conglomerates to consumer goods companies. Streamlytics is particularly focused on working with Black users in the U.S. and on getting underrepresented data into AI training models.

Charlton McIlwain, a vice provost and a professor of media, culture and communication at NYU, said he believes the tech community isn't fully committed to diversifying its workforce. Diversity efforts have been under way for years, he said, speaking Thursday at an event in New York organized by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. However, he added, "we're still at the same place, if not a little bit behind. Because there's not a commitment to the long [process], from beginning to end about what has to be done to produce that kind of diverse workforce that [extends] from the bottom all the way up to the top, which is necessary." In an interview after his speech, Mr. McIlwain said increasing diversity starts with companies recognizing that a diverse workforce, especially in engineering positions, helps them "see a broader range of problems that affect a broader range of people."