Dr. Philip Butler
AI/Machine Learning - Future Intelligence
Dr. Philip Butler
What might take place if AI centered Blackness? Black bodies, Black histories, Black cultures,
Black experiences? What impact might Black centered AI have on the everyday lives of Black
folks? In what ways would these advancements lead to pluripotent, yet intersectional/inter
communicative, digital realities where AI is representative of as many populations as possible?
In a world whose primary AI infrastructure stands as a deeply flawed reflection of its makers
who are predominantly white and over-representatively male it is important to imagine and
build simultaneously existing alternative realities. This article argues for the need for distinctly
Black datasets to be constructed and utilized for the betterment of Black quality of life (QoL). In
conversation with Du Bois’ idea of the Encyclopedia Africana this article will explore
approaches to deploy specifically Black data as a means to produce Black centering AI
platforms that operate with Blackness as its baseline.
Philip Butler serves as the Assistant Professor of Theology and Black Posthuman Artificial Intelligence Systems at Iliff School of Theology, where he also Partner Director of Iliff’s AI Institute. He is also the founder of the Seekr Project, a distinctly Black conversational artificial intelligence with mental health capacities. His broader work focuses on the intersection of neuroscience, technology, spirituality and Blackness. He is the author of Black Transhuman Liberation Theology, and the editor of the recently released volume Critical Black Futures, and Core Ethics Team: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT).