We keep hearing about how AI is going to
And if we focus solely on that fear, it very well might.
As the founder of
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That’s why I believe the next generation of AI will close inequality gaps—if we stop fixating on how it will widen them.
I know it because we’re already seeing it. Take education: After ChatGPT entered the zeitgeist in late 2022, many schools
And that potential is massive. Already, AI tutors are helping students who might otherwise be
Is there still reason to worry that students could misuse ChatGPT to cheat? Of course. But when students stand to gain so much, the solution is to teach them to use AI responsibly—not back away from it entirely.
The benefits of AI outweigh its drawbacks
In short: the pros outweigh the cons. After COVID-19 disproportionately harmed
AI isn’t just advancing equity and accessibility in education. We’re seeing it do wonders for
And, starting today (Dec. 5), AI is going to support a group of people our country often puts dead last: moms. My organization,
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How exactly does paid leave advance equality? Because there’s no federally guaranteed
Even for people lucky enough to live in one of the 13 states or in Washington, DC, that has paid leave benefits, there are still sizable obstacles to accessing care. So even if parents know about their benefits, they still likely have to navigate dense, government-penned legal jargon. Remember, these are parents who barely have a moment for themselves, let alone hours to comb the internet. The reality is, many people simply give up.
This is exactly the kind of issue AI can help solve. PaidLeave.ai can streamline a dense tome of government paperwork into a simple, user-friendly experience. Parents can ask as many questions as they want, in many different languages, as if they were texting a friend—and PaidLeave.ai can come back with answers.
AI can help the public sector deliver services
And it’s just the beginning. Finally, it seems the public sector is waking up to the many ways AI
We’re starting to see investments like these across the country. A
Of course, AI is not without risks. While we’ve helped make our chatbot more reliable by training it on government sources, including New York’s Paid Family Leave website, we’ve also heard stories of chatbots spitting out information that
If we are going to build trust in AI among people who have never used these tools before, then the people these tools are built to support must be at the table, helping design AI solutions from the start. In our case, that means centering the perspectives of moms—specifically single moms, moms of color, and moms who are hourly workers.
But this applies everywhere. If we are intentional about harnessing the power of AI to empower the most vulnerable, we lift up everyone. That’s what the great minds of tech should be focused on right now.
To ensure anyone can create these tools, we must give everyone access to them. So let’s learn from the mistakes of
And let’s be clear: we don’t have to choose between ethical AI and innovative AI. We can develop new use cases to lessen inequality—and, at the same time, train employees and students on
Right now, we have an opportunity to solve some of the world’s biggest problems and help the world’s most vulnerable communities. But it will require a willingness to take bold swings, put people first, and cooperate across sectors, industries, and political parties.
Because at the end of the day, our AI is only as good as we are.