Prince George’s County has paused plans for a data center at the former Landover Mall site in Landover, MD, following strong community opposition. On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, County Executive Aisha Braveboy ordered a temporary halt to all data center permitting. The move came after a public meeting where hundreds protested the proposed development.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Party for Socialism and Liberation – Washington DC (@psldc) Tuesday, Sept. 16, the County Council issued a joint statement announcing a separate resolution to temporarily suspend the review of future data center proposals until the Qualified Data Center Task Force delivers its recommendations. The Council noted that a 2021 law allowed the Landover project to move forward without Council review. However, they emphasized current leadership’s commitment to ensuring greater transparency in future decisions. “The proposed resolution reflects a commitment to ensuring residents have confidence that...

Taylor Davis, a Howard University alumna, has launched a startup to boost restaurant sales. Davis is behind a Charlotte, NC-based AI-powered app for food and travel enthusiasts called Troodie. The app features a list of businesses and builds a community for users to share their restaurant experiences, exposing diners to new eats. They can also create boards to organize their favorite restaurants. “I’m so excited to finally introduce Troodie to the world. We built Troodie for travelers and foodies (Troodies) who love to explore new places through food. Unlike solutions where reviews are generic or bookmarked restaurants get lost, Troodie makes discovery more personal, easy to filter, and collaborative,” Davis told Black Business. Photo Credit: Troodie What’s more, the app also positions itself as the “first AI-powered social commerce platform that connects influencer content directly to real-world diner behavior,” per Black Business. Troodie is designed to benefit creators and...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. If you work in tech, or any field for that matter, you probably have heard of LinkedIn. Whether you have used it as a job seeker, hiring manager or the butt of your jokes, the professional networking site, LinkedIn, has been at the center of white collar work for decades. LinkedIn was founded by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly and Jean-Luc Vaillant in 2002 on the heels of the dot-com boom that changed the professional landscape for the tech industry. The founders met via Hoffman’s previous venture, SocialNet.com, which some call the precursor to Facebook and PayPal. The site minted billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, some of whom the industry refers to as the “ PayPal Mafia.” Although people use LinkedIn for a variety of reasons, Reid always saw it as a place for building a professional network across white collar industries. As LinkedIn has grown over the years,...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The current and future benefits of AI have been mostly what is centered in conversations about the emerging technology, but recently, people have been bringing attention to what this may be costing people, especially Black and brown ones. We are all aware of how racism exists as it relates to systems, but you can also see signs of racism in the way environments are formed and how they are, or are not, tended to over time. Prominent Black figures and organizations have recently been calling out how AI could affect Black communities. Billboard reported that R&B artist SZA stated her concerns about how much energy and pollution goes into running AI. She specifically mentioned Memphis, TN, where the NAACP has notified Elon Musk’s xAI with their intent to sue the company for the pollution it’s creating in the city, as reported by AP. Environmental racism is not a new topic, but it has come to light...

With some assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) and a great deal of artistic vision, one business is reinventing the virtual fitting room. Doji, a fashion-tech startup co-founded by Dorian Dargan and Jim Winkens, has raised $14 million in seed funding, led by Thrive Capital with participation from Seven Seven Six Ventures, to scale its AI-powered avatar app that lets users virtually try on clothes in a fun, social, and personalized way. Dargan, Doji’s CEO, shared the news on his LinkedIn page, expressing his excitement about building a platform that puts users at the center of their fashion journey, stating, “Fashion is meant to be fun. But somewhere along the way, shopping for clothes online became overwhelming instead of exciting. We believe there’s a better way – one that celebrates creativity and self-expression.” Doji, which combines the founders’ first names, Dorian and Jim, lets users upload selfies and full-body images to generate an avatar, as TechCrunch reports....

Microsoft is laying off approximately 6,000 employees, around 3% of its global workforce, as CNBC reports, marking the latest round of job cuts as the company continues to realign its business priorities. The move will affect workers across various teams and regions, though the company did not disclose specific departments or locations. A Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC that the layoffs are part of organizational and workforce adjustments “to reduce layers of management” and not related to job performance. The spokesperson further stated, “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.” Microsoft, which employed 228,000 people worldwide as of June last year, has conducted several rounds of layoffs in recent years. In 2023, the company cut 10,000 positions, according to CNBC . In 2024, Microsoft also laid off nearly 2,000 employees from its gaming division just months after a $69 million gaming...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. President Donald Trump has gone all in on his tariff crusade, announcing last week a 10% tariff on almost every country with even higher tariffs on specific countries. From beauty and food to car automation , every industry is currently reeling with the stock market dovetailing, and the potential negative aftereffects will be felt for decades to come. However, the now billion-dollar AI industry is at risk of being decimated thanks to Trump’s tariffs. Pro-crypto and pro-AI fanatics have curried a lot of favor with the president, so much so that many of them have been appointed as high government officials to advance America’s standing in the global AI race. Even though Trump has reversed his initial thoughts towards technology, his insistence on tariffs may hurt the AI industry after all. According to Time, AI companies, along with several other industries, lost billions of dollars when the tariffs...

As new technologies emerge and transform industries, it becomes crucial for businesses to understand how to successfully introduce these innovations into their workforce. The process of adopting new technologies is not instantaneous, and employees often move through several stages before fully embracing a new tool or system. Understanding these stages can help organizations manage the transition and maximize the effectiveness of new technology. Understanding the Adoption Curve The adoption of new technologies within the workforce follows a predictable curve that reflects how individuals and groups respond to change. This curve is generally divided into several key stages, each representing a different level of acceptance and integration. These stages, based on the Diffusion of Innovations theory developed by Everett Rogers, help businesses understand the challenges and opportunities at each point of the adoption process. Understanding Early Adopter Categories When introducing new...

Green technology, also known as cleantech or sustainable technology, refers to innovations designed to reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote sustainability. It focuses on creating solutions that are energy-efficient, low-emission, and environmentally friendly, addressing issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution. Green technology covers various sectors, including renewable energy, water conservation, waste management, and sustainable agriculture, and plays a crucial role in protecting the planet while supporting economic growth. What Is Green Technology? At its core, green technology is aimed at improving environmental sustainability. It includes technologies that promote the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, as well as those that enhance energy efficiency and reduce waste. The goal of green technology is to minimize the environmental footprint of industries and individuals by shifting away from fossil fuels and...

Technology has undeniably transformed the world as we know it. However, rapper-turned-entrepreneur, filmmaker, comedian, and more, Clifford “Tip” Harris, emphasizes that no matter how far innovation advances, it can never replace the human emotions that ignite creativity. During the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference, Harris took the Innovation Stage to discuss technological advancements and how he has remained authentic to himself and the community he has served for over two decades. When he first arrived on the scene in 1996, he befriended fellow Atlanta rapper Big Kuntry King, selling mixtapes out of the trunk of their cars in hopes of making it big. Initially, he was known to the world as Tip before changing his stage name to T.I. Today, aside from music, his portfolio includes filmmaking, restaurateur, and more. As one of the trailblazers of trap music, he is also the founder of Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum, an interactive cultural space that celebrates the history, evolution, and impact...

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during a preseason game ahead of the 2016 NFL season, the world ran with narratives about his decision. Today, he has a platform that is helping people who look like him share their stories. Taking the stage at the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference on Nov. 14, in Houston, TX, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback beamed with pride as he spoke to eager attendees about his platform Lumi, which uses artificial intelligence to provide marginalized creators with opportunities for independence so they can share the stories that oftentimes live in their heads with no place to go. Photo Credit: Benjamin Esakof “I’ve done the graphic novel. I’ve done a couple of children’s books, and typically, those processes from when a contract is signed to when it is released, is over two years,” Kaepernick told Brian Dixon, managing partner of Kapor Capital, during a fireside chat titled “AI’s Role in Revolutionizing the Future of Storytelling.” “Those projects need...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. When one thinks about interest rates, the first thing that comes to mind could be credit cards, car loans, and mortgages, but did you know that they also have materially shaped the tech industry over the past 20 years? That’s because the federal interest rate that the Federal Reserve Board sets also informs the industry on whether money will be cheap or expensive, and that changes the way the industry seeks to operate. Below, we will touch on all of the players impacted by the increases and decreases in the federal interest rates. The startup ecosystem players that are affected in different ways by lower or higher interest rates are limited partners, venture capital firms, founders, and employees. The first one is limited partners, or LPs as they are called in the industry. LPs are the institutions or people that invest in venture capital firms. Examples of institutional LPs can be pension funds...

Amazon has come under harsh scrutiny for its treatment of employees in recent years, from accusations of systemically shortchanging paychecks to driving employee injuries by urging them to focus more on speed than safety. It might not be a dream career path for the average American, but for consumers, the multi-purpose company is driven by efficient customer service. They’ve mastered the art of promptly bringing packages to your door, but now, Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is revolutionizing the shopping world . Its capabilities are undeniably impressive, although not everyone is ready for the takeover of artificial intelligence. What Is Just Walk Out Technology? The first store to offer the Just Walk Out experience was an Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle in 2018; now, over 100 third-party retailers across the country allow people to grab their items and leave without waiting in a line or partaking in a transaction. “ They hated standing in lines in 1924, they hate...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for tech lovers – Google’s annual I/O summit. CEO Sundar Pichai, who’s been heading the company since 2015, gave a two-hour keynote speech which predominately focused on how his teams will be keeping up with the growing demand for Artificial Intelligence . Already, plenty of buzz is generating around Google Veo – their “most capable” video generator yet. It’s comparable to Open AI’s Sora, which only launched three months ago but has been revolutionary for experimental creatives. The program isn’t ready for the general public just yet, but what was shown by Pichai and his collaborators looks promising. Here’s everything you need to know about Google Veo: What Is Google Veo? Past attempts at developing AI video generators have produced lackluster results – Google’s Phenaki and Imagen Video both created distorted and sometimes crude clips. In January 2024, they unveiled Lumiere, a massive step up from past attempts, though Sora didn’t take long...

We’ve seen the jarring impacts that Artificial Intelligence can have on the music industry in recent years, but that doesn’t mean technology is all evil . On Tuesday, March 14th, Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave his two-hour keynote speech at the annual I/O Developer’s conference, where AI was mentioned over 100 times. The tech giant has some exciting things in the works, from more intuitive photo libraries to new programs that are sure to make videography a breeze. Elsewhere, Google’s teams have been crafting their version of Marvel’s J.A.R.V.I.S. system, famously introduced in Iron Man . Rollout details remain sparse for now, but while we wait for updates, here’s everything you need to know about Project Astra. What Is Project Astra? As Croma puts it, Project Astra is “ a new multimodal AI agent, capable of answering real-time questions, fed to it through text, video, and images and speech.” It simultaneously accesses information from the web and your surroundings using either your...