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After 32 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), former CEO Debra Lee continues shaping culture and business. Today, she sits on the boards of Warner Bros. Discovery, Marriott International, and Procter & Gamble — but her legacy at BET remains untouched. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025, Lee reflected on how her leadership from 2005 to 2018 helped define generations of Black entertainment, from shaping beloved programming to setting new standards for representation. Lee began at BET as the company’s first in-house counsel, building the legal department from the ground up. She later — and unexpectedly — became president and chief operating officer, succeeding founder Bob Johnson. “When people started writing articles, ‘Debra Lee is the heir apparent,’ it really shocked me,” Lee recalled. “I thought I was just going to continue to do the work, and Bob would get all the credit. That’s the way it went. No big deal. And it wasn’t until Bob left and I became CEO that people started...
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addressed the company’s recent layoffs during its quarterly earnings call on Oct. 30, saying the decision to cut 14,000 corporate positions was based on cultural factors rather than financial or AI-related reasons, Fortune reports. “The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and it’s not even really AI-driven, not right now at least,” he said during the call. “It’s culture.” The Amazon layoffs, which largely affected middle management, followed a June 2025 memo, according to a previous Fortune report. In it, Jassy said that advancements in AI have increased efficiency across the company. In a separate internal communication, Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, described the restructuring as an effort to adjust to the “transformative technology” of AI. Amazon’s workforce has grown significantly in recent years. The company currently employs about 1.55 million people worldwide,...
AI-generated and AI-assisted music has appeared on Billboard charts across various genres, including gospel, rock, and country. In recent months, according to Billboard, at least six AI or AI-assisted artists have debuted on these rankings, though the total number of songs or artists using AI is not yet clear. Some artists disclose their involvement with AI on streaming platforms, while Billboard reports using detection tools, such as Deezer’s identification system, to verify AI-generated or AI-assisted content. Billboard Entries And Commercial Performance Xania Monet, an AI-powered artist created by Mississippi-based songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones, has charted on multiple Billboard listings. Jones produces Xania Monet’s music by blending her own lyrics with live recordings and the AI platform Suno, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. According to Billboard, Xania Monet’s “Let Go, Let Go” reached No. 3 on Hot Gospel Songs, and “How Was I Supposed to Know?” peaked at No. 20 on Hot...
50 Cent is joining a growing number of musicians experimenting with artificial intelligence to reimagine their music. According to Complex, the rap veteran recently transformed two of his hits, “21 Questions” and “God Gave Me Style,” into old-school R&B tracks. He explained that AI allows his older songs to reach listeners who may have missed the original releases. “Look, if it will reach someone that I missed, someone who couldn’t hear what I was trying to say to them in the writing, they can hear it now in that format,” he told Jordan Rose for Complex in an interview. By converting his classics into new styles, 50 Cent is exploring how technology can broaden his audience while keeping the original songwriting intact. The rapper also highlighted the quality of AI-generated voices, noting that they rival the singers of the original era. “I don’t know where the AI got these voices from, but these are some good voices,” he said. “Like, if these guys came out in that time period, they...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
The Nigerian government, in partnership with Google and Apolitical, has launched the AI Government Campus to train civil servants in artificial intelligence (AI), Techpoint Africa reports. According to the outlet, the program offers structured online courses covering AI fundamentals, ethical frameworks, and practical applications for government operations, with assessments to track participants’ progress. At the launch event in Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani emphasized the government’s commitment to integrating AI into civil service processes. “We see artificial intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors,” he said. “We are putting resources into ensuring AI becomes native to our civil service — to accelerate the time we spend on processes and deliver better outcomes for citizens,” he continued. Adewolu Adene, Google’s government affairs and public policy manager for West Africa, highlighted the company’s role in...
Perplexity AI has released its artificial intelligence-powered browser, Comet, worldwide. The browser is now being offered for free after initially being available only to paid subscribers, CNBC reports. According to the outlet, Comet was first introduced in July. At that time, access was limited to Perplexity Max subscribers at a monthly cost of $200. The company stated that a waitlist of millions had formed before the broader rollout was announced. The browser is designed to serve as a personal digital assistant. Users are able to search the web, organize tabs, draft emails, and shop directly within the browser. According to CNBC, these functions are powered by AI technology intended to simplify everyday online activities. The decision to release Comet for free comes amid growing competition in AI-powered browsers in 2025. Google added Gemini to Chrome in September, Anthropic introduced a browser-based AI agent in August, and OpenAI unveiled Operator in January. CNBC notes that...
Robotic in vitro fertilization (IVF) systems are being used to fertilize eggs in clinical trials, producing at least 20 children so far, according to The Washington Post. In June 2025, Alin Quintana walked into a fertility clinic in Mexico City carrying years of medical complications, including a lost pregnancy and emergency surgery after a burst fallopian tube. That day, she joined an experimental trial where a robot would help create her baby. Infertility affects about 1 in 6 adults worldwide, yet access to treatment is limited, according to the World Health Organization. In many countries, patients pay out of pocket, often facing financial hardship. In the poorest nations, fertility care can push families into medical poverty traps. Since the late 1970s, IVF — fertilizing an egg outside the body — has produced 10 million to 13 million babies, per Fertility and Sterility. The process traditionally requires skilled embryologists to select sperm, retrieve eggs, and perform...
Lufthansa Airlines is adopting AI and technology to improve efficiency. Lufthansa Group has announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs by 2030 as part of a strategy to enhance efficiency through artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. According to a press release from Monday, Sept. 29, the airline plans to streamline operations and reduce costs by digitalizing and consolidating processes across its member carriers, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways. The reductions will mainly affect administrative staff in Germany, with operational roles largely unaffected. Lufthansa said it is reviewing activities that may no longer be necessary, including duplicate work, as part of its efficiency measures. Lufansa is among a slew of other companies that have cited AI in restructuring. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski told CNBC in May 2025 that AI helped reduce the company’s headcount by 40%, from 5,000 to nearly 3,000 employees. Additionally, the...
Will.i.am’s footprint in technology has brought him to the classroom. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, he has been an AI advocate and has even integrated it into his own platforms. The musician and entrepreneur is the mastermind behind FYI.AI, a production tool for creatives to generate drafted stories, song lyrics, marketing copy, and product descriptions. The app is not meant to replace but rather enhance the creative process. Will.i.am also launched FYI RAiDiO, an AI-powered, interactive, conversational media platform with AI hosts from various backgrounds from Miami to East London, according to information shared by its partner Mercedes-Benz. Incoming Professor At Arizona State University Now, will.i.am wants to further his efforts to educate the next generation of technology leaders. According to a news release, he has already worked in the Los Angeles area to energize youth interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). His latest interest includes partnering...
California’s new rules on Automated Decision Systems (ADS) will go into effect starting Oct. 1, 2025. These rules will require companies to follow strict guidelines when using AI for hiring, promotions, or performance reviews, thus holding automated tools to the standard set under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) concerning discrimination and bias. Employers and AI vendors must also keep audits, decision logs, and other records for at least four years. Both employers and vendors can be held responsible if their AI tools show bias, according to Holland & Hart. At the same time, a federal court in California has allowed a nationwide collective action in the Mobley v. Workday lawsuit, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The case alleges age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), as stated in the official court document. Applicants aged 40 and older who applied through Workday’s platform since Sept. 24, 2020, can join the lawsuit. The case...
Jasmine Lee’s path into technology has been anything but conventional — and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. After earning her accounting degree in 2022 from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, she joined Accenture as an analyst, according to her LinkedIn. She has since been promoted to management consulting senior analyst. In an interview with AFROTECH™, she shared that she hopes to make healthcare systems more accessible through innovations, including generative AI. Her work aims to enhance pricing transparency, improve claims processing and maintain the human element in healthcare, ensuring technology serves people, not just processes. Her career journey is only part of the story. At the same time, Lee has built a leadership presence in Black Wings, a program within Rewriting the Code (RTC) that connects and uplifts more than 2,500 Black women pursuing STEM careers. After receiving a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2023, Lee has leaned even further into her...
From the workplace to classrooms to personal use, AI is being woven into how society works and communicates. Among the most widely used tools is ChatGPT. Recently, the chatbot’s creator, OpenAI, came under fire after a 16-year-old California teen took his own life, according to the BBC. As adoption grows, so do the questions around how to protect users and ensure responsible engagement with the technology. Why AI Safety Matters As AI becomes more integrated into education, workplaces and personal life, the stakes of safety grow higher. Forbes reports that concerns about the technology range from bias and data privacy to misinformation. According to the BBC, a recent lawsuit claimed that interactions with ChatGPT may have encouraged 16-year-old Adam Raine to take his own life. Per the outlet, Raine discussed suicidality with the chatbot and even shared images of self harm. Despite recognizing Raine’s messages as a medical emergency, the chatbot continued to engage with him. Raine’s...
Meek Mill is looking to make his mark in tech, recently announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that he’s developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool he believes could have a global impact. “Working on a ai tool that can change the world lol,” he wrote on Aug. 30, a post that racked up more than 8 million views. Just a few days later, on Sept. 2, he followed up by sharing that he isn’t going at it alone. “I have some genius tech guy that’s building a ai tool that everyone will be able to use! I have to get one off first you will see!” he tweeted. While details remain scarce about the project, Meek Mill has been vocal online about his vision beyond music. According to Complex, the Philadelphia native has posted a series of tweets in recent weeks signaling that he’s in a new chapter — one that blends business, technology, and personal growth. Just days before his AI reveal, Meek Mill posted, “I can’t wait to get a chance to show the world how smart I really am!” I have some genius tech...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape the workforce at some of the world’s largest technology companies. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff confirmed that the company cut 4,000 customer support roles — from 9,000 to about 5,000 — due to the deployment of AI agents, according to the Los Angeles Times. The outlet notes that Salesforce employs more than 76,000 staff worldwide. The Los Angeles Times reports that Salesforce has attributed these cuts to rising efficiency enabled by AI agents, which now handle a significant share of customer interactions. Per Salesforce’s website, AI agents can respond to customer pricing inquiries, generate marketing materials and manage websites without continuous human direction. Salesforce said in a statement that these efficiencies have reduced support case volume, eliminating the need to replace certain support engineer positions, according to the Los Angeles Times. CNBC highlighted that Benioff told podcast listeners of “The Logan Bartlett...
