Welcome to the week after Ars Frontiers! This article is the first in a short series of pieces that will recap each of the day's talks for the benefit of those who weren't able to travel to DC for our first conference. We'll be running one of these every few days for the next couple of weeks, and each one will include an embedded video of the talk (along with a transcript). Our discussion was titled "Breaking Barriers to Machine Learning." Dr. Sephus came to AWS via a roundabout path, growing up in Mississippi before eventually joining a tech startup called Partpic.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues advancing at lighting pace, discussions on the need for governance, standards, and a stronger focus on "responsible AI" have followed. While AI can carry out decision-making tasks efficient, it's still based on algorithms that respond to data models. Unlike humans, AI algorithms can't see the full picture, in part because they lack emotional reasoning and other human qualities, such as empathy, ethics, and morality. Concerns over privacy and discrimination are on the rise as AI becomes further integrated into decision-making processes that affect economies and societies worldwide. The time has come, therefore, to decide what sort of policies should guide AI design and use, and how to make sure AI use improves human welfare and respects human dignity, said Nashlie Sephus, Principal Tech Evangelist for Amazon AI, in a recent AI For Good keynote.

This article is the first in a short series of pieces that will recap each of the day's talks for the benefit of those who weren't able to travel to DC for our first conference. Dr. Sephus came to AWS via a roundabout path, growing up in Mississippi before eventually joining a tech startup called Partpic. When asked, she identified access as the biggest barrier to the greater use of AI/ML--in a lot of ways, it's another wrinkle in the old problem of the digital divide. A core component of being able to utilize most common AI/ML tools is having reliable and fast Internet access, and drawing on experience from her background, Dr. Sephus pointed out that a lack of access to technology in primary schools in poorer areas of the country sets kids on a path away from being able to use the kinds of tools we're talking about. Dr. Sephus said that AWS has been hiring sociologists and psychologists to join its tech teams to figure out ways to tackle the digital divide by meeting people where they are rather than forcing them to come to the technology.

Amazon applied science manager Dr. Nashlie Sephus has lived in New York City, Atlanta, Silicon Valley, and Seoul while pursuing her education and work in machine learning. She knows the look of a community that's thriving from technology and innovation, but she didn't see that growth happening in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. That's why last week she concluded an 18-month process by signing contracts to secure 12 acres of land that will be home to the Jackson Tech District. The Bean Path, a nonprofit organization created by Sephus, will operate a maker and innovation space on the land. There will also be restaurants and residential lofts spread across eight buildings, all located near the historically Black Jackson State University.