The conversation at the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans highlighted the importance of understanding artificial intelligence and its impact on various aspects of our lives. The panel, moderated by Chike Aguh, brought together leading voices in health, beauty, and tech to break down how AI is already impacting our lives and what we can do to shape its future.
The Promise and Peril of AI
Aguh compared the current moment in AI to the dawn of the internet in the ’90s, emphasizing that both the promise and the peril of this technology are real. “The power to dictate what the future looks like is in our hands,” he added. The panelists agreed that AI is no longer a futuristic idea; it’s here, and it’s transforming how we understand and manage health, beauty, and more.
- Healthcare: AI is driving real-time progress in healthcare by enabling early diagnoses and personalized treatment plans tailored to our genetics and lifestyle.
- Beauty: AI is being used to analyze everything from the health of your skin to the age of each hair on your scalp to create more personalized beauty experiences.
- News: AI is already determining the news that we see, AI is already determining who we hire, and AI is already determining our healthcare.
Empowerment through AI
Rahquel Purcell, Chief Transformation Officer at L’Oréal North America, emphasized that AI won’t replace people, but it will change how we work, and those who embrace it will be better positioned to thrive. “The opportunity to have a breath of data and information for you, so I’m putting it back to you, because the importance of you taking ownership for your everyday experience, what you’re eating, how you are taking care of your body, what you are putting on your skin, how you are taking care of your hair,” she said.
| Key Takeaways | Benefits |
|---|---|
| AI-driven personalized health recommendations | Increased accuracy and effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment |
| AI-powered beauty tools | More personalized beauty experiences tailored to individual needs and preferences |
Building AI with Our Communities in Mind
Esosa Osa, founder of Onyx Impact, reminded the audience that AI can reinforce systemic bias if we don’t build tools with our communities in mind. “AI is already determining the news that we see, AI is already determining who we hire, and AI is already determining our healthcare,” she said. Her organization created “Aisha,” a culturally-grounded AI assistant trained on Black news, Black joy and Black history. “If we’re not building our own AI systems, someone else will be building them for us or building them against us,” she warned.
“AI is already determining the news that we see, AI is already determining who we hire, and AI is already determining our healthcare. We need to take control of this narrative and build our own AI systems that reflect our values and needs.”
A Call to Action
The conversation was a call to action, one that encouraged everyone in the room to lean in and stay informed. Whether it’s accessing health resources, choosing beauty products or engaging with the news, AI is already influencing the decisions we make. As the panelists made clear, we have the power to shape how this technology shows up in our lives. Key Takeaways:
- AI is transforming our lives and will continue to shape our future.
- We have the power to shape how AI shows up in our lives.
- It’s essential to stay informed and take control of the narrative around AI.
Definition: Artificial Intelligence
- Definition:
- A branch of computer science that deals with the development of intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and decision-making.
Highlights from the Conversation
Key points discussed during the conversation:
- The importance of building AI with our communities in mind to avoid systemic bias.
- The need for personalized health and beauty recommendations.
- The role of AI in shaping our future and the importance of staying informed.
Conclusion
As the conversation came to a close, it was clear that AI is here to stay and will continue to shape our lives in profound ways. By embracing this technology and taking control of the narrative, we can ensure that it benefits humanity as a whole. The future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: we have the power to shape how AI shows up in our lives.
