At The Long Beach Central Area Association/MusicUNTOLD.com, our mission is devoted to presenting arts and educational programs that promote diversity and human dignity. As technology continues to shape how we live, work, and create, we recognize that the same values guiding our work in the arts—equity, representation, and inclusion—must also guide the digital future.
This is why the national conversation on artificial intelligence, or AI, is so important for all of us.
In a recent congressional hearing, Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts’ 7th District led an important discussion about how to ensure AI serves everyone, not just a select group. The hearing took place as Boston celebrated its first AI Week, held from September 26 to October 3. During this week, startups, students, researchers, and policymakers came together to explore both the promise and the challenges of artificial intelligence.
“People are very animated about the future of AI,” Pressley said. “I hear it all, from fears of bias to excitement for innovation. But what’s clear is that diversity in AI is essential to ensure everyone benefits from these technologies.”
Dr. Nicol Turner Lee: A Voice for Digital Equity
Among the experts testifying was Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, a leading scholar on artificial intelligence and social justice. She serves as the Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution and founded the AI Equity Lab, which works to ensure AI systems are designed and deployed in inclusive and fair ways.
Dr. Turner Lee’s research focuses on algorithmic bias, the digital divide, and the social impact of technology, especially on marginalized communities. Her work brings attention to how new technologies can either reinforce or reduce inequality, depending on how they are designed and used.
Why Representation in AI Matters
Dr. Turner Lee explained that diversity among the people who build and guide AI systems is not only a matter of fairness but also a matter of quality. When people from different backgrounds and experiences contribute to AI development, the results are more ethical, creative, and effective.
“It’s important that we have people who understand the lived experiences of the variety of impacts that AI can have,” she said.
When teams lack diversity, AI systems are more likely to repeat existing social biases. These can include unfair loan denials, inaccurate facial recognition results, or other outcomes that harm communities of color.
“When you do not have people who understand that lived experience,” Turner Lee explained, “the AI tends to then affect their quality of life. Loan denials continue, and the gap widens.”
Her message was clear: inclusion in technology is not optional. AI must be built by and for all communities.
The Role of Policy and Public Access
Both Representative Pressley and Dr. Turner Lee agreed that the federal government has an important role to play in building an equitable digital future. They discussed several key steps, including:
Lowering barriers to entry so that women, people of color, and under-resourced innovators can build careers and companies in AI.
Launching a national AI literacy initiative to help people understand how AI is shaping daily life.
Closing the digital divide so that every community has access to reliable internet and digital tools.
“We keep talking about AI,” Turner Lee said, “but we have not closed the basic infrastructure issue. We cannot build the future if everyone can’t get online.”
What This Means for Our Communities
For African American artists, educators, and community leaders, this conversation connects deeply with our mission. The question of who gets to design the future is closely linked to cultural and creative equity.
As AI begins to influence how stories are told, how resources are shared, and how opportunities are created, our communities must be included, informed, and empowered.
As Representative Pressley concluded, “AI works best when it works for all.”
We invite you to watch the full conversation below and reflect on how technology, like art, can be used to advance equity, dignity, and human possibility.