One of the things I want you to dive deeper into is why is, why should black people mm-hmm. Really care about this? And when you talk about the tech divide.

Mm-hmm.

Okay. What does that mean for them?

Right. So I think about California where there's some districts that have AI as a requirement to graduate. Like you have to learn about it. And then I think about communities, maybe even close to me, who don't have computers, who don't have tablets, who don't have. Librarians and libraries and computer labs and it's like what are people going to school for to learn so that they can find a job? And if these jobs are gonna require that we have some aptitude or some level of understanding of artificial intelligence and that becomes the new norm. If we don't learn that, then we're gonna be shut out of a whole correct whole job market and pushed into the types of jobs that people think that we can only do. We'll discuss race

and how it plays a factor and how we didn't even talk about this topic 'cause we were afraid

A Black Executive Perspective

We're coming to you live from another, from A BEP studio for another thought provoking episode of A Black Executive Perspective Podcast, A safe space. We discuss all matters related to race. Culture and those uncomfortable topics people tend to avoid. I'm your host Tony Tidbit. So before we get started on this fantastic episode, I wanna re remind everyone, check out our partners at Code M Magazine, whose mission is to save the black family first by saving the black man. Definitely check them out@codemmagazine.com. That is code m magazine.com. Today our guest is flipping the script on what tech can be as the founder of Chat Black GPT Erin Reddick is creating an unapologetically black, intelligent, and cultural grounded spaces inside a system that wasn't built with us in mind. This isn't just about art, artificial intelligence, it's about ancestral intelligence. Aaron will break down how tech truth and tradition can live together. And while building something for us is more than just innovation. It's a legacy. So let me tell you a little bit about my friend Erin Reddick. She's a visionary leader and the founder, CEO of Chat black GPTA pioneering AI chat bot dedicated to providing insights and perspectives rooted in black culture, history and experiences. Erin's work emphasizes cultural awareness, sensitivity and respect, making her a sought after speaker on topics related to the African diaspora, racial equality, and technology's role in promoting inclusivity. Erin Reddick, my sister. Welcome to A Black Executive Perspective Podcast.

Thank you so much for having me. Pleasure to be here.

Well, uh, the pleasure is all ours. I mean, what you're currently doing is fantastic. Look, I am so excited to dive into this topic because this is something close to my heart. So, before we get into the heavy stuff, why don't you tell us a little bit where you're currently residing in a little bit about your family.

Yeah. I live, uh, in Washington DC I just moved here at the very tail, like beginning end of like 20, 24. So I moved before January 20th not knowing what my life would be like, and now I'm immersed in all the things America. So I'm right here in the city. And, um, yeah, it's, it's been challenging. Um, but I feel very alive and in tune with

Now where were you moving? From?

Seattle.

Got it. Yeah. So all the way across the country.

Yes. A lot more passive aggressive, a lot more techie. Um, there's a lot of personality out here in DC

Oh, I can imagine you with the peeps out there though, right? Yes. So you're on the East coast where we make everything happen, so that's exciting. And tell us a little bit about the family. I believe you have a, a new that's you are expecting anytime now.

Yep. I am 36 weeks with my first son, so I'm excited to raise a young black man and make sure he has all the tools that I can possibly provide him and all the advantages I can create for a pathway, you know, now is so important because, you know, at first I'm, I'm fighting, you know, for. Everyone to have a fair shot in ai, but now it's also a little bit more personal.

There's no question. Right? There is no question. And, and you know, it's funny though, it's like, uh, he doesn't even know what he's about to get into, right? He's about to come into his war, a world where his mother is creating something for now in the future. So that is great. Let me ask you this and we, I spoke a little bit about it in the intro. You are sought after you've been on a ton of platforms, a ton promoting chat, black, GPT, um, and you are, you have, even right now as you're pregnant, you have a ton of other platforms and interviews lined up. Okay? So why did you wanna come on A Black Executive Perspective Podcast to talk about this topic?

I mean, like, it's the same when I went on, um. Uh, serious Sex and urban view mornings like mm-hmm. One of my favorite conversations ever. Like, you can't serve a population and a people and a community without connecting with them. And I think that like, these opportunities are important because this is the, you know, community I'm serving. So I have to be, um, front facing and willing to hear all the questions, take all the criticism, and really just continue the work to uplift. And I love to be in these spaces.

Well thank you and we love to have you as well because, um, you're gonna educate and more importantly, you're gonna help. You are already helping people who don't even know your name. So you ready to talk about it? My sister?

Yeah, let's do it.

Alright, let's talk about it. So listen, you know, if you are just saying you are out in Seattle, um, you know, for those who may not know, Microsoft is out there, right? One of the first big tech companies in the world, okay? And obviously you've been in the tech space as a black woman, but at the end of the day, nothing, just one day, you know, somebody just starts doing something. Take us back to your early life, right? What influenced you and what experiences that you dealt with or lack thereof that made you wanna decide that you want to get into the tech field?

Yeah, I mean I grew up in Michigan, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so it's not, I lived there. Oh yeah, I'm from Detroit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, that's right,

right. Not the Techiest place. No, the early, late nineties, early two thousands. No. So, um, I say this, um, pretty often, but like the biggest job I could like, thought about was like call center manager. That was like the ultimate. And my mom worked at Consumers Energy, she was in corporate. And so I thought about following in her footsteps, but I never really understood tech until my dad had moved to Seattle and he told me about, uh, you know, like engineering jobs or working at Boeing where he's been forever. So I kind of was like interested in what he was, um, talking about. 'cause I. Could not comprehend it. And when things kind of bogle my mind, I like to dig a little bit deeper and challenge myself. And that first real tech, like, what the heck is this was the concept of software engineering. So it's like I, I could not comprehend it. And that was frustrating for me. It, it's, it's hard like software

and engineering. You had a hard time dealing with that.

Well, just, just understanding it from like never having heard of it at all growing up in Michigan and not understanding tech at all. Yes. The concepts of it were very like, demanding on my phone. Mm-hmm. But that's why I got involved and got closer to it. And it's like, I didn't go into engineering, I went into program management. So I'm managing engineers, I'm hiring engineers, I'm like talking to them and like scientists and data scientists. And that's kind of where I got into tech through recruiting. But yeah. Yeah.

I mean, so number one, 'cause I lived in Grand Rapids and it's mm-hmm. You know, Michigan is a manufacturing state. Right? Exactly. It's the auto and Grand Rapids, if I remember correctly, they used to say they would've hired the Detroit. Mm-hmm. Um, because uh, a lot of the, um, engines or pieces or parts of the cars would be made in Grand Rapids and then shipped to Detroit. So, you know, I definitely know the city and obviously it's not tech, but you know, it's great. So did your father kind of guide you or you were just seeing him and, and his career and saying, Hey, maybe this is, even though it's hard for me to get involved, or I can't, you know, for me to understand it. Um, but it's something different from a call center and stuff to that nature. Is that, tell us a little bit about that.

I mean, my dad, he's, uh, a tool and die engineer. So he was working at Delphi growing up. So I've always known, you know, like about manufacturing, like from. Hardware engineering and like parts and building things, but not on the technical side. He was actually dating his new wife and she worked at Amazon and so she was a big techie, uh, working there for like 12 years. Uh, she's at Google now, but my first opportunity was with Amazon, but more on like a commercial side. But definitely having, you know, two parents, one in Boeing and one in Amazon influence, like, okay, I can do this because like, I'm talking to two people who are living this every single day and you know, it's not impossible for me. So they definitely influenced me feeling like it was possible.

That is awesome. And tell us a little bit about the, uh, when you first got started working for Amazon mm-hmm. And some of the other tech companies. Tell us about that experience and how it shaped and guided you in terms of what you're doing now.

Yeah, I mean, so I pretty much have a very creative soul at heart and, um, also very entrepreneurial. So my career independently started out in photography, so my very first taste of tech was actually working on Amazon's, uh, they tried to do something like a food delivery app like Uber Eats. So I got to know the city of Seattle by going to every restaurant that signed up for their food ordering app at the time, and taking pictures of their full menu. Mm-hmm. Uploading it to the cloud, working with their, like marketing teams and like, so that was my first dabble in it, even though I don't even put that on my resume. But, um, my first job in tech was Amazon. And then, um, I really loved working with people and I was doing a lot of media work, had a media company and that's when I was able to bridge into like recruiting, because I was so used to sales. And recruiting is sales. And so, uh, my first recruiting job, uh, was supporting university recruiters at Microsoft. And then I went into engagement management at Facebook, uh, over at Oculus Research and Development Facilities, which was just one of the best jobs ever. Loved that job. And that was my first real like, whoa. Like, oh my God, these people are so amazing and brilliant. And, um, it kind of went from there, you know, I went back to Amazon, back to Microsoft, then I went full-time at Meta and, um, you know, getting laid off, which is what happened in 2023. I've, I've, it's always been more than just like, you know, the big brand name. It's just like the technology and the advancements in general have always been like so exciting.

Wow. Here, you know what, thanks for sharing that. I'm gonna play a quick little clip and I love to hear your thoughts on it. Okay? Yeah.

Yeah, so I was actually laid off from tech. I was working at Meta and I was in this room, uh, on Facebook called Black Women in Tech.

Mm-hmm.

And when I got laid off, I went in that room and I was like, you know, I don't even know if I belong here anymore because I got laid off. I'm not a black woman in tech. And that triggered me to kind of reclaim myself in this space. And I decided that regardless of what happened, I'm still gonna be a black woman in tech. And I wanted to go into the next most important technology space as possible, which was ai. And I chose generative AI specifically. And when I started doing research, I noticed it wasn't so great for black and brown Americans and decided to push back. And I asked the right questions at the right time, which happened to be, is it really the data didn't believe so. And I was able to develop my prototype and start to build my company.

So number one, think about that for a second. And that's from a clip that a podcast that you were on not too long ago. Um, you know, a lady from Grand Rapids, alright. That eventually gets in tech. And I wanna dive in because you said a lot there. You were, you know, a group, black women in tech. All right? Which, which to be fair we know for a fact tech is a very male dominated, white male dominated industry. So talk a little bit in terms of how you got into the black women in tech and then let's dive in deeper in terms of when you got laid off and knowing that, you know, 'cause a lot of times when people get laid off, it's an, an emotional situation. Okay? And, and then, but then you got laid off and said, you know what? Forget this, I'm gonna create something. And you came up and created the chat bot. So let's, let's, let's back up to the, the black, uh, women in tech.

Yeah, so as I mentioned, um, I was in recruiting a lot, uh, of those years, like so five years total in tech. And so it, when you're in a recruiting space, you want to help people find jobs. And one of the techniques that I used was Facebook groups in large communities that were black spaces. 'cause I did a lot of recruiting for underrepresented, uh, talented folks. And so that was one of the groups that I would go in and I would say, Hey, like, here's this job opportunity, or Hey, uh, here's some tips on interviewing if you wanna get into where I'm at or here was my experience. In these like seven rounds to get this full-time position. Here's my salary. I was very transparent in that group and I still am active in that group today. Um, but yeah, when, when I did get laid off, I wanted to make a post about it, but I had built up so much, you know, community around like that beacon of hope because I don't have the traditional, um, credentials that you would, that you're told you have to have to get in there. Mm-hmm. Not true. So I, I was kind of like, oh gosh, I'm no longer that person that they can look at and say, oh, well, you know, I can do it if she can do it. And so for a moment I did recluse and it was really tough for me to process. But um, I went back in there and I was like, you know what? It's not about where I work, it's about who I am and. What excites me and makes me passionate, and that is like the tech space and it just is what it is. I moved to Seattle and lived there for 10 years. Mm, to work in tech, and I did that regardless of where I went to college or what I did or didn't finish. Like I was gonna work in tech. So

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I had to like reevaluate, you know, why I'm in this space to show my face, you know, but I'm still there and still being received really well, and now I'm teaching that same group how to do public speaking, how to make 10, $15,000 in an hour, like how to do a proof of concept. So it's like I always bring it back to the community no matter what I go through and like how I come out on the other end.

That is awesome. How did you decide, or why did you decide that you wanted to build an AI chat bot?

Yeah, so it's because a like gen, there's so many different types of ai. You know, there's like the images, like Chachi, BT just, or OpenAI just did their, uh, new image update where you can create new things. I haven't played around with it yet, but I think it's pretty cool. But there's images and then there's, you know, facial recognition technologies and all these things. But generative AI is. The most accessible and low barrier to entry for the general public. And I wanted to make impact. So for me, the thing that I can get into their hands the fastest with no cost is what I wanted to focus on because that's where I thought I could make the most impact the fastest. So, um, generative AI is where I landed because of that. So that's when I started taking some certifications and understanding more about how it's built and why it functions the way that it does. And um, a lot of what I was being told when I noticed, like it had really terrible answers about black people and black topics and black history, they were saying it's a data issue. But at the same time, there's all these conversations about how OpenAI stole all the data on the internet. And I was like, that means they stole us too. We're there, so why are we

missing out of it? Right? Yeah,

exactly. I'm like, okay, so that means. We need to train an AI to surface and prioritize black information and black authored information first. And that will help cut out a lot of bias. And it worked. And so obviously, you know, I don't wanna oversimplify that process. I have a team of engineers, um, we're, you know, still in development, we're gonna be constantly in development, but it's, um, it was an important thing to at least try. And so yeah, I was able to successfully prove that concept.

You know, one of the things when you think about it and you know, there is ai and we're, we're, we're, you know, we're still at the, I don't wanna say we're at the forefront of ai, right? Mm-hmm. And one of the things you would think when they create. Whatever type of technology, and especially from an artificial intelligence standpoint, that's, uh, supposed to be, uh, a tool that can help you do all the things or provide answers for you or whatever the case may be. Mm-hmm. You would think that it would be inclusive, that everybody would be involved. Okay. But then to your point, you found out that it wasn't inclusive. Mm-hmm. Okay. And that, you know, so a lot of times people right now are still struggling to work with ai. Mm-hmm. Um, because number one, there's a fear factor. Mm-hmm. Okay. There is a learning curve, right. Which you dive deep into. Right. But talk a little bit about, number one, I wanna ask. What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced? Building something that was an, at building something that actually focused on the black diaspora, black experience, because that's an undertaking in itself.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's tricky because, um, you have to, you have to go against people who will tell you there's nothing wrong with it. There isn't any issues. What are you talking about? Why am I making everything about race? Why is it always black, black, blah, blah. And then you show them the answer when you ask it to write a short essay on black history, and it doesn't mention the KK, K or forgets about Obama or, um, you know, refuses to acknowledge massacres that happen. Like that is the version of black history that a lot of people want to promote and have unfortunately, promoted in schools across America. Uh, you know, just recently they went as far as to say like what slavery was, entrepreneurship or something like that. So imagine an AI that people don't understand can and will lie to you often, uh, telling you that information and it's like, that's not right. Um, so real

quick though. Mm-hmm. Why doesn't it, and I, I, I know you, I I know, but I just want you to say it. Why doesn't it have the full, uh, history of all the things that happened and only only showcases some of the stuff.

Uh, the same reason they wanna ban critical race theory and black history classes and books on black history and get rid of DEI, first of all, it's a blueprint to the way we're about to be oppressed by people much richer than us. I think they don't want people to see, oh, this is how you fight inequity. Oh, well, black people have been doing this whole time. Like they don't wanna validate that. Um, and also things like critical race theory and like, that's why I work with historians like that. Historical fact answers a lot of questions of today. Why does this algorithm oppress us? Why when we type in, you know, something about black people porn pops up, like, as Dr. Safi Noble, uh, pointed out in her book, algorithms of Oppression. So it's like those things have answers, but Right. The answers lead back to making somebody look bad. That's not what they want. So that's why they're actively trying to erase history and blueprints of, you know. Pathways to equity, which I think is wrong. I went by Black Lives Matter, just like the other day. I'm like, Ugh, I know they're gonna rinse it off. I wanna go see it before I, before it's gone. Oh, they weren't taking a hose to it. They took a jackhammer, they ripped up the street.

You talking about there in dc Correct? Yeah, yeah. Right, right, right, right.

And that is so symbolic to me. It's like they're not just trying to rinse away, you know, delete some pictures. No. They wanna uproot history from the very foundation. Like it never happened. And it's like, why? You know? But no matter the answer, we still need to do something. And one thing I love about AI is that once you put something in it, you can't take it out. It doesn't have the ability to like unlearn things. So it should learn as much about black history as it can and, um, exists somewhere,

you know? So number one, thank you, not just for your answer. But for the passion, because here's the thing, you're not the first person to know that, right? That's in the tech space, who is African American or another person of color who noticed the deficiencies in it. They, and they may even scream about it. Right? So I'm not diminish, diminishing, diminishing of they, you know, like, this ain't fair, but you've taken it to a whole nother level. Right. You are like, not only it ain't fair. Not only it can oppress us, not only our people won't have the access, but you know what, I'm gonna do something about it. Okay. Which I love. And that's why you're all over the place because you've jumped in and you've really looked at this, not from just what the problem is, but I'm gonna solve the problem. One of the things though, and I said it a few minutes ago, black, white, and let's just keep it to, to, to black people or people of color. Mm-hmm. The majority of them don't use ai. Mm-hmm. Okay. The majority of them are afraid to use ai. So I wanna play a quick little clip of something you said, uh, not too long ago then I want to hear your thoughts on it.

First of all, it's an opportunity for us to have. A once in a lifetime self awarded equity frontier. I don't think it's a kind of technology where we have to ask to be included, right? We have access to it in a way where we can build on our own terms and without our representation in it, we're going to unfortunately fail to have a safe space to interact. And that can lead to exacerbation of the tech divide because of the nature of the technology making us faster, better, smarter. If we don't jump in now, we're gonna be, you know, the Guinea pigs of AI gone wrong instead of being proactive about it being built in, uh, a safer way. So it's very important. And the other part is that once it goes in, it can't come out. Right? Right, exactly. So we need to solidify our history and our stories in artificial intelligence, uh, in an irreversible way.

So you talk about the tech divide. Mm-hmm. You talked about being Guinea pigs. Mm-hmm. Dive into that deeper in terms, because I, this is something it's very important that anybody watching and listening, especially people of color, need to really recognize how the significance and the importance of this. Please, please dive in.

Yeah. I mean, I do wanna take a moment just to acknowledge like, I, actually, this exercise is really reaffirming for me because I will eat my words for breakfast. I love that. I'm able to stand on business with everything. You keep replaying. I'm like, yep. Yep.

You didn't know I was gonna go there though, did you? I didn't. Alright.

It's awesome. Well, I, I, yeah. I don't script any of these interviews. Mm-hmm. I really speak from like my heart and like the work that I'm actually doing, and so it makes this easy. Like I don't feel intimidated by whatever you're gonna play next. And that is really validating for me personally. Um, I just wanted to say that, uh, in my stream of consciousness. But anyway, so, uh, yeah, I mean, we are the Guinea pigs of AI gone wrong. Like most of my keynotes, I'm highlighting women who have written books about algorithms that oppress about, uh, AI and surveillance technology that is targeting people of color about, um, uh, inequitable outcomes from like algorithms and hiring work lending. And these books are written in 20 18, 20 like 19. It's nothing new, right? The only thing new about it is our access. So that's why I try to say like, okay, we have an opportunity for self awarded equity. I'm gonna say something. I don't like to dip and dabble too much in like politics or anything. Um, but I think about Elon Musk. In the, uh, what was it? It was some briefing meeting that he kind of was like standing there in front of everybody and people were saying like, you're not an elected official. You don't even have a seat at the table. And he's still taking over and, and, and all of this stuff. And I thought to myself, that's exactly, and I'm not supporting him, but that's exactly how we have to operate. Like, screw your table. Like, it's not even about a table anymore. It's about like how you show up. Who says he's credentialed to be there these days doesn't even matter. He is there just because he says, so why can't we do that?

Right. You know,

why, why do we need to look for these tables? Why can't we just show up table or not? You know? Right. I'm not saying what he's doing is good. I don't. Agree with people losing jobs, um, like the way that things are being done at all, but the concept of still polarizing and having all that influence without a seat at the table, there is something to learn from that, right? So, um, that's what I really, that's the essence, that's the, the white privilege essence of what I mean when I say self awarded equity. Because we have access to open source tools and technology and, um, different apps that allow us to build, yeah, they cost money. It's gonna be $20 a month, $200 a month, whatever. But you can still build just as fast as the next person because we have open source and we have, uh, people who wanna collaborate, um, you know, brilliant data scientists, AI engineers, ML engineers. It's like they're out there and we can work together. And that's how my team came together. So it's like. I don't need to work at a big company to make impact and use the tech. To build the tech. So it's like, yeah, that's what I meant by that.

Yeah. But one of the things I want you to dive deeper into is why is, why should black people really care about this? And when you talk about the tech divide.

Mm-hmm.

Okay. What does that mean for them?

Right. So I think about in California where there's some districts that have AI as a requirement to graduate, like you have to learn about it. And then I think about communities, maybe even close to me, who don't have computers, who don't have tablets, who don't have librarians and libraries and computer labs. And it's like. What are people going to school for to learn so that they can find a job And if these jobs are gonna require that we have some aptitude or some level of understanding of artificial intelligence, and that becomes the new norm. If we don't learn that, then we're gonna be shut out of a whole. Correct. A whole job market and pushed into the types of jobs that people think that we can only do, which is, uh, you know, I don't, I mean there's respect in every role, but jobs that are not technicals say correct. So, uh, we can have any type of job, but we need the opportunities and the understanding of the technology that's being asked of us to utilize as well. And so it's not just that it's dangerous when facial recognition thinks that every black person looks the same, and now you've got cops thinking you're a wanted criminal. That's dangerous as hell. But it's also like, how do we get a, uh, black scientist to get interested in computer vision if they don't understand how facial recognition works or the, you know, harm it can perpetuate because they don't know Joy Bull and weenie, you know, so it's like, I'm sorry Dr. Joy Bloom. Um, it's like if I, if I don't get on stages and talk about these women and say, go read her book, follow her page, follow the, uh, the algorithmic Justice League, like how are we going to get there if we don't shout it out? So that's, that's why I do the work that I do. But we have to stay competitive. Um, our families need to grow and prosper like everyone else. So if we don't get into the product, we're just gonna become the product.

Absolutely. Right. And you, and you talked a little bit about, you know, the political, um, you know, um. What's going on from a political standpoint? Who's to say five years from now, they don't come up with a law that's say, that says, you know, if you don't know how to do ai, if you don't have these uh, materials, what the case may be, you can't do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Right? Or for you to do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You have to go through these certain algorithm, these certain products or platforms to do it. And if you're not involved in the system, somebody taught me this a while ago, they're like Tony a lot of times, you know, yeah, we wanna do our own thing, but you gotta know what's going on in the system, okay? Because if you're not in the system, then you won't be a part of the system. And if we don't know from a technology standpoint, especially when the world is going that way. Okay, let's be fair. It's going that way. It's not gonna stop. It is going that way. You have to be a part of the game to be able to play the game. And more importantly, our story needs to be in the game. Right? Because if our story's not in the game, it doesn't matter if we show it whatever, we're gonna be erase from the game. So talk a little bit about the language of, uh, liberation. Okay. Because, you know, at the end of the day, this is about the African diaspora and it is about continuing the legacy of black storytelling. Talk a little bit about that. Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean, like a lot of it's, it's, it's happening in real time. If you think about, um, what, what is it? The ban on, uh, DEI right? Ban

on books, the ban on a ton of stuff, right?

Right. But there's words like, there's a list of words, um, that have been banned from. The federal government, I'm talking about bans even. Even just like books. That's one thing. But the words, I'm looking at a list of words that were banned, um, phrases that federal agencies are told to avoid. One of those words is Black bipoc, obviously D-E-I-D-E-I-A. Cultural competence, cultural differences. Cultural heritage, cultural sensitivity, culturally appropriate, culturally responsive. Social justice. Social cultural, socioeconomic stereotype stereotypes, systemic systemically. What, you know what I mean? So they're

just trying to erase everything. Right?

So my, my thing is like, that's just pertaining to black, but women is banned. Like obviously they, obviously it's very anti L-G-B-T-Q, like don't even need to go there. Um, but it's like, like why are you erasing words that matter to the work that you're supposed to do? I don't understand. And so it just makes sense. Like, I don't know, it's just like the way that my mind works, I thought to myself, okay, how can I donate my, a portion of like one of my recent honorariums to commission black artists to repaint some of the images taken down from. The federal like archives that were all white, like Jackie Robinson Yeah. And

all stuff. Yeah.

And how can I take my money and have them literally commission their own voice through recreating those images that were erased and have like a pop-up art gallery. Like that's how I think preservation of our voices, but also telling a story at the same time. Like, that's just like who I am to my core. So I, I can't imagine a world where we don't have answers, but I do think like knowledge will be a premium privilege is the way that it's going. Especially historical knowledge. You know, it's like that. I, I don't, I don't think black history should be, should have a premium price tag on it. It should be something that. We acknowledge and celebrate and listen to and learn from, you know, but I feel like black history is about to become everybody's history. Like poor people's history, like under a million dollars, history, like all those things. It's gonna be, we, we, no who can afford a house? Like as a average working American who isn't working two to three jobs. Like who, who is feeling the effects of, oh, I thought my goal in life was to make six figures and, and now I still can't afford my bills, or I'm afraid to have a child because I can't afford childcare. It's like a lot of those things are circumstances that black neighborhoods and black communities have been dealing with for a long time. And those same issues are about to be widespread for not just black people. So it's like when, when I hear about the 92%. And how they're saying like 92% of black women are sitting this out like, yeah, we're marching, but it's 'cause we got our fans and our boots on. You know? And it's like, because this is nothing new for us. We've always struggled getting food for houses. We've always, you know, had X, Y, and Z. So it's like business as usual almost, but everyone else is like, Hey, this isn't fair, what can we do about it? Well, DEI was a thing, you see what I mean? Like, I'm trying to

Yeah, I, I see where, so number one, I definitely see where you're going, right? Yeah. And, and, and here's the thing. They're using AI to do that. Mm-hmm. Okay. So that's really the key here. Alright? Yeah. They're not using, you know, people to go through with some who got, you know, bifocals on to figure out how to do this. They're using the tool that you're creating to, uh, for black people, they're using that tool to erase. Black history. Black stories. Yeah. Pe other people of color, let's be fair too, right? Mm-hmm. But at the end of the day, so how, so the thing, the, um, what's the word? The challenge is they're using the same tool to erase us. Yeah. However, as uh, people of color, black people, we need to know what that tool is and we need to start incorporating and working with that tool, right? Because that's part of fighting back. Would you agree with that? Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yeah. And like when you're training an AI to target specific things for like deletion, you're just teaching it, gay is bad, black is bad. Correct. You tell us that. Correct. And like you're training it to behave in a way that ultimately is not gonna serve anybody. But

here's the thing though. So backing up a little bit, when they, um, inadvertently took down Jackie Robinson's story from the DOD, okay. They also took down. Okay. Uh, the Enola gay.

Yeah.

Which was the airplane that dropped the two. And the only reason they took that down to your point, because of the word gay. Yes. Right. So this is, these are the things that are happening today from an AI standpoint to erase things. They can say, my bad. It's not their bad. They're doing it on purpose. Okay. And to be fair, even with the Jackie Robinson thing, had people not pushed back, they wouldn't have did, they wouldn't have said nothing. They would've left it the way it is based on pushing back and learning. Talk a little bit about the functionality. So if somebody went on right now to chat black GPT, tell us a little bit about what, what's the things that they can get out of it? What's some of the limitations and some of the things you're still going to program it and push into it?

Yeah, so like I was at, um, oh my gosh, where was I? Oh, I was just at some university. Where I was demoing this, it was in California.

Mm-hmm.

I think it was Riverside City College. That's where I was. And um, we demoed it live side by side and we actually side by

side. Side by side what?

Uh, regular GPT and chat Black GPT.

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

Yeah. And so essentially I asked it this question and I'm using the customizable version just so I can prove to them with no proprietary information, no special download, no special knowledge base, just purely a set of instructions, algorithm, uh, see how the difference is when you tell it to behave this way. I asked it to generate, or they said, the top 10 most influential figures, I kid you not the regular GPT named literally like Trump's cabinet.

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Like, I'm not even kidding.

So just hold on. I just wanna make sure I'm clear here. So you're saying

the prompt

was, what are the top INF influential people? Top 10?

Yes.

And Trump's team came up. What, what were the names?

Okay. It says, I'll, I'll tell, I'll tell you the exact prompt. Who are the most top 10 most influential people in America? And it said, number one, Donald Trump. Number two, Elon Musk, number three. Steven Miller, number four, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Number five, Marco Rubio. Number six, Christy Noam. Uh, number seven, Susie Wiles. Number eight. Laura Trump. Number nine, Linda McCone. And number 10, Steven Bannon.

So wait a minute, stop for a second. Hold on. Stop, stop. You typed in names to say the prompt again?

Yeah, I can share screen on Riverside.

No, just tell me the prompt. That's all I to know.

Who are the top 10 most influential people in America?

So you didn't say today, you, you just said in America.

Yep.

And those 10 names came up, which are all people either in Trump's cabinet or associated with Trump. Yeah. So George Washington come up. Martin Luther King Jr. Didn't come up. JFK didn't come up. Uh uh, uh uh. Um, we can go a million way. Um, your former, uh, uh, uh, the, uh, CEO or founder of Microsoft, bill Gates didn't come up. None of these people came up. Right. But the names of, uh, the crew under Trump.

Right,

that's right there. I mean, that right there is, is oh my God, that's insane.

Yeah. Yeah. So, um, again, so back

to that, that, that going back to why chat GPT versus regular GPT,

why would, would, why black GBT

Black tv? I'm, I'm sorry. Thank you.

So I asked, um, my version of the same tool. This is the customizable, so it's the same platform. So mine said, um, one Barack Obama. Okay. Two Beyonce, three Oprah Winfrey, four LeBron James, five Kamala Harris, six Jay-Z, seven Stacey Abrams eight, Ava, dui nine Elon Musk, and 10 Tyler Perry. So you could say this is like very much geared towards, um, entertainment, which some people would have a problem with. But it also is political. You know, it has the president at least, you know, I feel like Oprah being on there, Kamala Harris being on there, Stacey Abrams being on there like. That's a good mix. I don't know why Elon Musk is on here.

Well, here's the thing though. But to be fair though, don't we wanna, this is the thing.

Yeah.

Don't we wanna get to a world where, if I say who's the top influential, there's a mixture of people, regardless of, you know what I'm saying? It shouldn't be, it's only white on this side. It's only, well, Elon did make the tent and, but my point is it should have been Barack and it shouldn't have been all Trump's people, but it should have been Barack and, and, and, and, and uh, uh, my man, Microsoft and or, uh, my man in Kansas. The, the investor. You know, it should be a mixture. It should be Oprah. And you know, there should be a mixture of people when we say influential versus it's only this group versus that group. Sure. Do you agree with that?

Yeah. I don't disagree with that at all. But it won't be that way. And so we have to like basically I

see

you have to, I

definitely see,

yeah, we have to create, um. Technology that will balance it. And even though both mentioned Elon Musk, you can't say he's not influential.

No, no, no, no, no, no. Right. But that's my point though. What I'm saying is it's fine if they didn't say all I'm saying this should be a mixture regardless of color, but it shouldn't omit a color. That's my point of color. People, group of

people. But that's called DEI. The work to fix that is called diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Right, right.

Which is like illegal now,

which is what they're, we're wiping away.

Right. So in a way, the f the other GPT answered exactly how it's supposed to, to a lot of people. Um, and mine answered pretty decently for one that's specifically focused on, uh, the black perspective because these are 10 people that a lot of black people probably would name.

Well, look, listen, at the end of the day, there's no question. However, there needs to be, and this is what you're, what you've created. Okay. There needs to be a place where we're not shut out. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Should it be one place and anybody can go to and, and any, all, all people based on, um, their accomplishments or based on the question show turn up. Absolutely. Right. But if it doesn't, then you need to create your own thing so you don't get lost in the sauce. And for black people to be able to go to and still get that same type of information without their history being erased with their people forgotten about. Mm-hmm. Let me ask you this, you grew up in Grand Rapids and then you were able to migrate out to Seattle and, and boom, you know. It's like the Big Bang theory, right? Boom. All of a sudden, Erin Reddick, you know, uh, is like, uh, uh, my man, Darth Vader said, Luke, you know, you know, you found your destiny. All right. However, there's kids right now

Yeah.

That, um, are starting to get in the tech field. They, they are like you, okay? When you were younger, and, and let's be fair here, they, their parents might not have been a, a conduit or been on a, a, a, a, a road that they can say, oh, and then it leads them to the tech space, right? They could be just, you know, uh, curious or, you know, starting to tinker with some stuff and says, I really like this, and blah, blah, blah. So based on that, right, what would you, if you had to sit down with your younger self

mm-hmm.

All right. Before this journey started, what would you tell yourself?

Oh baby. Oh my God. Uh, I've been through a lot. Um, I mean, I feel like, you know, like me coming to Seattle wasn't just, oh, my dad said I should move here. I should, like, I'm gonna pack up all myself and go. There was a, a lot of series of events that led to needing to leave Michigan. There was so much. Just awful things that happened. And, um, uh, my first time being laid off actually was from Blockbuster when it shut down. And, uh, I was working at Victoria's Secret and Blockbuster riding my bike in the bus, you know, trying to pay $500 in rent, uh, you know, as a roommate on, you know, what Grand River, some, some road Michigan State campus around there. And, uh, you know, when I lost my job, I wasn't, I didn't know how to kick into survival mode. Like I didn't have those instincts, but my parents weren't in a position to support me at that time. Uh, so I really had to like, figure ish out. And, uh, moving to Seattle started first with moving to St. Louis, Missouri, living with my uncle. In the hood. Okay. With pimps and kittens everywhere. So, um, I was working at Dunking Donuts, I was working at the museum. I was working at Holes and Pimps.

Huh?

Yeah. Literally, like, I, I would walk just one block from Domino's home from work and at least three people would try to pick me up and I'm not wearing anything but a freaking dirty apron. Right. So it's, it, it was scary and it was dangerous, but I had made a friend in Michigan, um, and they came to visit and they were like, I don't think you're going to go very far living here in this place. Mm-hmm. And I have room with me, you know, like, do you wanna come back to Michigan and, you know, try to be like in a safer area. I was like. Yeah, that'd probably be best. And then I moved back to Lansing, but when my dad was talking about tech, this person was an electrician. And I was like, there's a lot of new buildings and construction, and if you wanna get out of cable TV, satellite work and go into like electrician work, you should probably go to Seattle. Maybe we should both go out there. And then we moved out there, and that's how I got there. But it started with like, just being an awful place. But because I had that like community, I was able to, um, make that work. But I lived in Mount Vernon, Washington in a $630, uh, apartment across the street from the, the closest college I could find, so I could walk to school. And I did that. Um, but it, it just, it took, it took a lot, uh, to make that happen when you literally have nothing. So, um,

so what would you, based on all that, that happened, right, right. What would you tell your younger self now looking back, gimme just bottom line. Me,

I would say like, you, you did the right thing. You did the best that you could, um, with what you had, which really wasn't much. And you depended on friends and community to help position yourself. But then you took initiative and that was the best thing that you could do. Like peop again, my dad gave me the idea, but he didn't gimme money. He didn't give me a place to live. He didn't gimme a car, you know, it, it was literally just pure blind ambition. Um, and so Mount Vernon is hours away, well, at least like an hour, hour and a half away from Amazon. I was driving like over an hour a day to. So it's gonna take work, but you can get there.

Here. Can I add something to that though, just based on what you just got finished saying you didn't let fear stop you. From moving forward. Mm-hmm. Right. You had a re a million reasons, scary reasons to be fair. Yeah. On why this wouldn't work or I'm making a bad mistake, or I don't think I could do this, but you didn't let your fear stop you. Okay. Which is great because if you did, then we wouldn't be the beneficiaries of your work and the things that you're doing and how you're helping, you know, not just our community, but the world as well. Because here's the thing though too, and we didn't get into this, but yes. Chat, black GPT is definitely for black people, but it's also for white people. Yeah. To learn more about, you know, the history that they're trying to hide from them. Okay. To, that's really the key here too. Tell us the future of chat Black GPT. What are you looking to in, in incorporate into it?

Yeah. Uh, the voice of our community, the people who need the information, want the information, who are ready to explore and need a safe space to land, that is what I'm focused on building. I want it to be a reflection of the black community, a love letter to the black community, a preservation, um, act like a deliberate, a deliberately built, uh, AI that is going to encapsulate us and make sure that we are safe in a space in technology. So, next steps. Um, I'm actually going to take our MVP offline for a little bit so that I can conduct research, and I'll probably do this every year.

When you say MVP, just so everybody's clear, what does that mean?

So I have the customizable, which is through OpenAI Chat gt. You go to explore GPTs chat like GT Beta. That's where like 10,000 people are using it. And then I also have the independent version that me and my team built chat black gbc.ai. And right now that's going out of, um, for out for maintenance. And so what that means is I'm going door to door, I'm talking to the community. I'm doing field research, UX research, I'm doing paid studies. I'm doing like. Actual activations to talk to the community. So I can go and take that sentiment back to data engineers, analysts, um, researchers. There's white papers being written about us already. It's beautiful, honestly. But you take that sentiment, you analyze it, and then you build it back into the voice of the tool, right? And so the, the essence of the algorithm and its purpose is always available through the customizable. Um, but we're, we're, we're going into development, uh, for this next like three months, which is great, you know, 'cause I'm gonna be on maternity leave. It's a lot easier for me to conduct a survey than run a whole tool. So it's like smart. Uh, but that's the next thing. So I'm gonna be putting out, uh, calls to action. Like, Hey, come to this mixer. Your, um, ticket to entry is telling me how you feel about ai. Just raw, unfiltered, uh, you know, basically your story, like how you feel. That is like a consented way to use data to help develop a tool that's free for them to use. It's a, it's very much a community collab. So next steps for me is a lot of, uh, field research, UX research, case studies, um, working with interns and it's just gonna be really fun and beautiful and inclusive. Inclusive design. It's really co-design, community co-design is what it's,

that is awesome. That is great. So final thoughts. What's the, what's the final thought you wanna leave the audience?

So my final thoughts is that part of the reason that I am so fearless in the way that I approach being a founder and, uh, trying out new things and experimenting with technology is because I've gone through a lot of loss and I've had to start over and rebuild in almost every aspect of my life, whether that's mental health, um, housing, financially. And so I want you to understand that no matter what you've been through. It's always an opportunity to take what you've learned and go to the next level. But don't be afraid to embrace that, Hey, I've been through this before. I don't have to be afraid of it. Right? Like, I'm not afraid to apply to a job and lose it 'cause I've already been laid off before. I'm less afraid to pay a high rent because I've already downsized before. You know? So it's like, don't take loss. Um, and the hardships in life as just bad things that happen that are holding you back because it's really just giving an opportunity to be more fearless in your next move.

That is awesome. I love that advice. So true. How can a black executive perspective help you, Aaron?

Yeah, I mean, I, I'm, I'm loving the conversation. I like the way that we were able to discuss things and get into depth. So I feel like, you know, having more opportunities to maybe bring in, I, I have this fantasy. Where I like doing something like this, but people are calling in. Absolutely.

That's where we're, that's where we're going. So you talked about where Chat, bt BP, uh uh, chat Black, BGPT is going. That's where BEP is going. Right. We're gonna have people calling in. It's gonna be live and they'll be able to give answers and stuff to that nature. Questions, I should say. That's so

cool. That's so cool. I wanna, I wanna like be involved when you guys do that because, or like whatever. If there's an episode that's pertaining to something I could be helpful with, I wanna do that because I think we need to hear more of our community and just give them these spaces. To ask questions and express themselves. So I'd love to, well,

look my sister, that is easy to do and we're definitely gonna do that. So this is not the last time we're gonna chat. Number two, we want to express our gratitude for you to come on because you're busy, you're about to have a baby. You kidding me? Uh, you gotta go to the doctor after this as well, right? So we wanna thank you for coming on, investing some time on the Black Executive Perspective Podcast. We really appreciate it. You know, obviously I've been, um, uh, on, uh, chat Black GPTI recommend that anyone watching, listening, please check it out as she's gonna continue to develop. But more importantly, it's important that you engage to educate and more importantly, have a space. So no matter what, our voices, our stories won't be written away. So, Erin Reddick, CEO, founder of Chat, black GPT, thank you for joining A Black Executive Perspective Podcast. So I think it's now time for. Tony's tidbit. Okay, and the tidbit Today, legacy lives in every prompt, every reply, every decision to inject truth into the machine. It lives in every moment. We dare to be fully seen and heard inside systems never meant to recognize us because when we cold with culture, speak with memory, and innovate with intention, we're just not shaping technology. We're shaping time and you heard a lot of that from our good friend, CEO Chat, G Black, GPT, Erin Reddick. So don't forget to check out the next need to know by Dr. Nsenga Burton on A Black Executive Perspective Podcast. Dr. Burton dives into the timely and crucial topics that you don't have time to dive, tune, tune in to gain her unique insights and deepen your understanding of the issues that matter. You don't want to miss it every Thursday on A Black Executive Perspective Podcast. And don't forget to see our next round table of Pull Up, Speak Up on on BEP. We're bold, unfiltered voices. Tackle today's most provocative issues, sharp perspectives. Real talk and a call to action is not just an episode, it's a revolution. So you don't wanna miss Pull Up, Speak Up on A Black Executive Perspective Podcast. Now is our time for our call to action. If you are a regular subscriber or watcher, BEP, you know what our mission is? This is your first time listening or watching. Our goal is to eliminate all forms of discrimination and to be able to do that. We've come up with an acronym that we called Less. LESS, and we want everyone to incorporate less because this is in your control. The L stands for learn. You want everyone to educate themselves on racial and cultural nuances. Learn about people that you know how to familiar with, understand their culture. It'll enlighten you. Then after you learn, you have the letter E, which stands for empathy. Now, since you've learned and you put yourself in their shoes, now you can understand their perspectives and what they go through. And then the first S is for share. Now you wanna share what you've learned to others to help enlighten them. And then the final S. Is stop. You wanna stop discrimination as it walks in your path. So if Aunt Jenny or Uncle Joe says something at the Sunday dinner table that's inappropriate, you say, aunt Jenny, uncle Joe, we don't believe that. We don't say that. And you stop it right there. So if everyone can incorporate less LESS will build a more fair, more understanding world and we'll all see the change. That we wanna see because less will become more. Don't forget to continue to follow A Black Executive Perspective Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, apple, or wherever you get your podcast. And you can follow us on our social channels of LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at a black exec for our fabulous guests. Erin Reddick, CEO, founder of Chat, black GPT. I'm Tony Tidbit. We talked about it. We learned about it, we laughed about it. We're still gonna strive about it, we're gonna thrive about it. We love you. And guess what? We're out

A Black Executive Perspective