A few years ago, I wrote a piece on ClearVoice.com titled, "How to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Content Marketing," which included this quote:
“We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers’ profit… the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
~ Martin Luther King
As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King -- and as the increased reliance upon AI-driven technologies has demonstrated the potential to do harm to already marginalized people -- this quote seems as appropriate today as it was when King first spoke these words in 1967.
Need a use case? Look no further than the recent wrongful arrest of a Black man in DeKalb County, GA, charged with a series of thefts in Louisiana — a state he'd never visited.
It could be argued that this was a case of user error — that the arresting officers somehow didn't consider what should have been easily-recognizable distinctions between the man they arrested and the actual culprit. For example, the man they arrested had a mole on his face; nor did his height and weight match the suspect's description.
Instead, the officers relied upon the (faulty) results of facial recognition software. Thankfully the man they arrested was released, but not before spending a full week in jail.
What does all this have to do with content, or with MLK? I'm so glad you asked.
More from the ClearVoice piece:
"This MLK quote remains relevant today, especially as content designers and other creatives consider how to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the creative process. And while not a cure-all for the ills that turning a blind eye to matters of DEI can cause, the content we create is integral to the creation of safe, welcoming, and inclusive information spaces for all."
So while human automation authors are busy examining whether or not tools like ChatGPT can replace (human) content creators, please remember this: We already have the power — and the responsibility — to normalize content: to make it diverse, equitable, inclusive, and safe - in the in digital experiences and information spaces that we help to create.
