By Alexis Moses, Senior Creative Engineer, FCB Health New York
This year, I attended AFROTECH 2023 in Austin, Texas, a convention that focuses on emerging and culturally impactful technologies centered around African American culture and contributions to the tech world. The event boasts more than 25,000 attendees, 200 vendors, and 100 talks. As a first-timer, I knew this was going to be an event to remember.
There was no shortage of representation in the spectrum of tech on the expo floor—Riot Games, Tesla, Shopify, and Lockheed Martin were all in attendance, among others. The busy floor was filled with professionals, students, and enthusiasts, but there was also a unifying connection among all attendees who make up the collage of blackness. That connection was the question, “Where do we fit into technology?” There was a common theme present throughout most of the sessions I attended: how to support communities of color by creating opportunities for employment, education, investment, and by being our authentic selves. Although this was my first AFROTECH Conference, after talking to various attendees, I sensed that these topics have been consistent year to year.
The deep nontangible discussions surrounding tokenism, code-switching, and imposter syndrome were common topics in sessions and discussions among attendees. The Chief Technology Officer of Resy tackled some of these issues during his session and zeroed in on “showing up as your authentic self,” which seemed to connect with the audience. He was quick to highlight that, even at his status, people still attach his skin color to his achievements, and he wanted to be clear that being Black is not the reason he has achieved his success, but being Black is important to his success. He stressed that the person you are in and outside of your professional life should closely reflect one another.
Unsurprisingly, most of the sessions I attended centered around how generative AI is changing their respective fields. From small companies to big companies, generative AI was the topic on everyone’s mind. The Black perspective and various cultural concerns were addressed in every talk I attended and speakers who evangelized AI seemed to give forewarning that those who do not use the technology will be at a disadvantage in favor of those who do. The message was about preparation and finding investment dollars to embed this technology into operations. This seemed to be relevant as many entrepreneurs attended and asked questions. An urgency to adopt generative AI tools and understand why they will be needed seemed to be top of mind for many.
On to the demos!
One of the most impressive displays of generative AI was located at the Hilton booth on the expo floor. It was a deceptively complex training tool that was powered by generative responses. My job in the experience was to take a position as a customer support agent and handle three scenarios given by virtual patrons of Hilton. The customers were 3D-rendered abstract interpretations, but they displayed an emotional range that made me feel like I was the only person who could change their uneventful experience into a pleasant one. Before I handled the first issue, I was prompted to follow the guidelines of an acronym called HEART (hear, empathize, apologize, respond, thank). Once I listened to the customer’s complaint, I had to give a one-minute-or-less response to the virtual guest while addressing all the concepts in HEART. The generative model parsed my entire response and graded me on every aspect of HEART. The model acknowledged the things I forgot to address, but it also acknowledged the things that I said wrong, totally dynamically. This intelligence also responded back with visual cues for every part of HEART, showcasing how interactive interfaces are finding a way to communicate with generative large language model (LLM). By my second customer service challenge, I felt myself becoming a better representative. I truly believe that generative training will be leading efforts in education.
Virtual reality (VR) also had a heavy presence at the conference. Johnson & Johnson had a VR experience where I acted as a surgeon, and I was tasked with doing a complicated knee surgery. The experience was insightful and a little nerve racking as I had to perform in front of the passersby on the showroom floor. It was very intuitive, even if the controls were a little clunky. The floor representative expressed how this tool has been adopted by many doctors within the company and health care providers they service. This demonstrated how ubiquitous and effective these technologies are becoming. I don’t think I will become a surgeon anytime soon, though, as I dropped my virtual tools a couple of times.
A major insight to note is that VR is becoming an acceptable tool for analysis and training, and a reliable tool during surgeries. Therefore, one can infer that other experiences within VR may become more widespread options in the future, such as exchanging ideas among associates and research that will be probed and collected within virtual environments. These environments are where representatives can present MOAs and data visualizations, distribute virtual periodicals, and create private and personalized experiences with patients and stakeholders alike.
Finally, a company called Cruise showcased their comfortable, self-driving car, and the representative expressed how it services all people, especially those with mobility issues, while keeping roads safe. These cars are 100% electrically powered and are statistically safer than human-driven cars. The spacious cars will likely become a first option for those who need transportation services, and Cruise could be a potential partner with some of our brands.
I would love to attend the AFROTECH Conference next year as a presenter to share my experiences as a creative engineer within the IPG Network and the greater marketing spectrum. Expressing my own personal challenges and contributions to the greater practice can be a source of inspiration for those seeking to enter the industry while maintaining their authentic selves. Without understanding the tapestry of culture, generative models, extended reality experiences, and automated systems can never meet the mission of why we use technology in the first place. That mission is to make life easier and more fulfilling by opening lines of culture, expression, and collaboration.
