Community conversation will explore AI
Nonprofit and Rep. Ted Lieu work to give guests basic understanding of emerging technologies
A free community conversation scheduled for Wednesday evening in Torrance will aim to answer some burning questions people might have about artificial intelligence.
The event, hosted by nonprofit AI and You, will feature Susan Gonzales, the organization's founder and CEO, and special guest Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, in a discussion to help people develop a comprehensive understanding of AI and make well-informed choices.
The discussion will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Toyota Meeting Hall.
“We take a very basic approach, like what is an algorithm? What is ChatGPT and how does it work? How does AI impact my vote this election,” Gonzales said. “So, we are talking about the basics and leveling the understanding of AI before it's too late.”
Lieu, in a statement, said he is pleased to join the event “because AI is going to change the world as we know it.
“As a recovering computer science major, I'm fascinated by AI and all it can do,” he added. “AI has significantly helped society and will continue to move us forward. At the same time, we need to mitigate any potential harms of AI.”
That's why Lieu introduced the National AI Commission Act, which would create a bipartisan blue ribbon commission to advise Congress on how to effectively regulate AI, the representative said.
A native of the South Bay, Gonzales grew up in Hawthorne. Later in life, she moved to the Bay Area to pursue a career in the technology field.
Prior to launching her nonprofit in 2019, Gonzales headed Facebook's community engagement efforts.
She first learned about AI in 2016, when the company launched a tool that uses it to enhance access to photos on the social network for the visually impaired community.
So when she left Facebook around five years ago, Gonzales decided to delve deeper into AI. But she quickly realized that there was hardly any representation of the technology from marginalized communities, such as women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and people
with disabilities.
“I felt like the AI tech company community was over here, and then the rest of us were over here,” she said, “and there was nothing in the middle.”
In response, Gonzales launched AI and You, which aims to prepare marginalized communities for the inevitable changes by educating them about the benefits, risks and opportunities of AI through easy-tounderstand information online and community conversations.
Gonzales also serves on the National AI Advisory Committee, where she advises the Biden administration on AI.
The Torrance gathering is the first in a series of “bringing AI into the community” events, which her organization has launched, she said.
“I'm a product of the South Bay,” Gonzales said. “I'm bringing AI home.”
The discussion will cover topics such as how AI can play a role in education and how small business owners can use the technology to improve their inventory and marketing.
It will also help voters protect their votes in the 2024 election, which will be digitally driven and comes down to voters having a basic AI literacy, Gonzales said.
“This will be the first election where there will be more deep fakes, which are created with AI tools, than ever before,” she said, referring to the creation of fake photos or videos through artificial intelligence.
“The bottom line is that AI will forever be part of our lives,” Gonzales added. “So now is the time to create a foundation of understanding and awareness.”