Prince Harry and Megan’s Archewell Foundation has announced the new winner of an annual award for people who have overcome racist and sexist biases in artificial intelligence (AI).
Each year, the winner of The NAACP – Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award is awarded $100,000 to advance their work in civil and human rights.
This year, the Sussexes revealed in a video shared on the Archewell website that the winner was Ghanaian-American computer scientist Joy Buolamwini, for ‘research to overcome racist and sexist biases in artificial intelligence’, as Markle puts it in the clip.
Dr. Buolamwini, 35, is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a digital advocacy non-profit that ‘exposes’ the harms and prejudices of AI against women and people of color.
With two master’s degrees from Oxford and MIT, she recently wrote “the rising frontier of civil rights demands algorithmic justice” — a claim the pair said Thursday they “couldn’t agree (with) more.”
Prince Harry and Megan’s Archewell Foundation on Thursday named Ghanaian-American computer scientist Joy Buolamwini (right) as this year’s winner of its annual award for people who have overcome racist and sexist biases in artificial intelligence (AI)
Dr. Buolamwini, 35, is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a digital advocacy non-profit that ‘exposes’ the harms and prejudices of AI against women and people of color
“Each year we come across the most incredible leaders in technology and face the difficult choice of choosing just one winner for the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award,” the actress-turned-Duchess says in the clip, along with her husband .
“And this winner is, Dr. Joy Buolamwini.”
The video then cuts to Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, personally delivering the news to the renowned speaker, whose writing has been featured in publications such as Time, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review and The Atlantic.
‘You won!’ Meghan tells her in the excerpt and congratulates her with a warm hug.
Prince Harry – who recently fought back claims he entered the country illegally due to taking illegal drugs – also warmly embraces Buolamwini, who appears next to him after driving into the royals .
“I’ve all got me good,” she admits in the video, which includes a disembodied voice outlining some of her achievements and an explanation of the Archewell Foundation’s mission from Meghan after it was founded by her and her husband in 2020.
“This is an organization that is leading the way in overcoming racist and sexist bias in AI systems, particularly as it emerges in policing, education and healthcare,” the Duchess explains.
‘She recently wrote that ‘the rising frontier of civil rights demands algorithmic justice’ – and we couldn’t agree more.’
“Each year we come across the most incredible leaders in technology and face the difficult choice of choosing just one winner for the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award,” the actress-turned-Duchess says in the clip, along with her husband
The video then cuts to Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, personally delivering the news to the renowned speaker, whose writing has been featured in publications such as Time, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review and The Atlantic
You won!’ Meghan tells her in the excerpt and congratulates her with a warm hug
Prince Harry – who recently fought back claims he entered the country illegally due to taking illegal drugs – also warmly embraces Buolamwini, who appears next to him after driving into the royals .
‘Dr. Joy is an expert and an inspiration, and so deserving of this award,’ Markle says at one point in the clip
‘Dr. Joy is an expert and an inspiration, and so deserving of this award.’
The taped encounter appeared to have taken place at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday, where Meghan appeared on a panel called ‘Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen.’
The Suits alum appeared alongside stars such as Katie Couric and Brooke Shields, wearing the same collared shirt and skirt seen in the clip.
Dr. Buolamwini, meanwhile, is seen holding a SXSW lanyard as Meghan shot a copy of the AI expert’s book: Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines.
Written in the first person, 2023 recalls how, when she was a student, she discovered that sine facial recognition could not register her dark skin.’
In it, Buolamwini writes: ‘The rising frontier of civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.’
‘Since this discovery, she has gone on to become one of the world’s most ‘inspiring, passionate and impactful figures in AI today’, the video claims – with the voiceover adding: ‘…at a time when her expertise is needed so bad.
It further tells how Dr. Buolamwini was worried about how facial recognition software would only recognize her when she donned a white mask — a dynamic represented by the bestselling book’s cover.
Meghan picked up a copy of the AI expert’s book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines during the surprise meeting, which appeared to take place at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday
Written in the first person, 2023 recalls how, when she was a student, she discovered that sine facial recognition could not register her dark skin.’ In it, Buolamwini writes: ‘The rising frontier of civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI must be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few’
It further tells how Dr. Buolamwini was worried about how facial recognition software would only recognize her when she donned a white mask — a dynamic represented by the bestselling book’s cover
The NAACP – Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award “celebrates a new generation of leaders creating transformative change at the intersection of social justice and technology,” the foundation’s website says.
The group is part of the larger Archewell Inc. – a Beverly Hills-based mix of for-profit and non-profit companies registered in Delaware, overseen by the Duke of Sussex and his wife
Dr. Buolamwini went on to found the Algorithmic Justice League before authoring her book examining the social implications of the technology and discussing the movement to prevent AI harm.
The NAACP – Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award “celebrates a new generation of leaders creating transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology,” the foundation’s website states.
The group is part of the larger Archewell Inc. – a Beverly Hills-based mix of for-profit and non-profit companies registered in Delaware, overseen by the Duke of Sussex and his wife.
In a statement on Thursday, Buolamwini gushed about receiving the accolade.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to join such an illustrious group of Digital Civil Rights Award recipients from the NAACP and The Archewell Foundation,” she wrote.
‘With the rapid spread of artificial intelligence, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that these algorithms that act as gatekeepers serve us all and do not impede the civil rights of marginalized communities.
“This award will help the Algorithmic Justice League continue our work to prevent AI harm, connect the printed to resources, and raise awareness of AI’s impact on society through our advocacy, art and research.”
To learn more about the price, visit NAACP.org.