There’s a lot of fear swirling around artificial intelligence – especially in Black spaces. I hear it in newsrooms. I see it on social media. I feel it in the pushback every time AI is mentioned in conversations about journalism, creativity, or culture.
I get it. The fear is understandable. We have every reason to resist the change and be skeptical of systems that were not built with us in mind. History has taught Black people to side-eye anything that claims to be “neutral,” “objective,” or “for everyone.” Too often, those tools have excluded us, erased us, or harmed us outright.
I write this reluctantly, but here’s the truth we need to sit with – AI is not your enemy.
What is dangerous is refusing to understand a tool that will shape our future, whether we engage with it or not.
AI is not here to replace Black creativity.
It cannot replicate culture.
It cannot manufacture lived experience.
It cannot feel the weight of history in a church pew, a barbershop, a protest line, or a grandmother’s kitchen.
And no – AI will not destroy journalism.
But ignoring it absolutely could.
The real threat is opting out
Every major shift in media has come with resistance. Radio. Television. The internet. Social media.
Each time, there were fears, some justified, that these tools would dilute storytelling or undermine credibility. And yet, the communities that learned to master those tools – not fear them – were the ones who controlled their narratives.
AI is no different.
Right now, the danger for Black journalists, Black creatives, and Black-owned media isn’t that AI exists. It’s that we risk standing on the sidelines while others decide how it’s used, whose stories matter, and whose data gets prioritized.
If we don’t help shape AI, it will shape us – without us.
AI doesn’t erase humanity – humans decide how it’s used
Let’s kill one of the biggest myths right now: AI does not think on its own.
It reflects the data, priorities, and values of the people who design and deploy it. That means bias isn’t an AI problem—it’s a human problem that shows up in code.
And that’s exactly why Black voices must be part of the conversation.
If we disengage, we leave decision-making to institutions that have historically ignored or misrepresented us. If we engage critically, ethically, and intentionally, we can help correct bias instead of amplifying it.
This isn’t about blind trust. It’s about informed power.
Black media cannot afford to fall behind
Black-owned media have always done more with less. We’ve survived without the resources, backing, or safety nets of mainstream outlets. But survival alone is no longer the goal.
We deserve sustainability. Growth. Innovation.
AI, when used responsibly, can help Black media remain competitive in a rapidly shifting landscape, without sacrificing integrity, community trust, or cultural nuance.
The future of journalism isn’t AI versus humans. It’s humans who understand AI versus those who don’t.
The choice is ours
We can fear AI.
We can reject it outright.
Or we can do what Black communities have always done—adapt, interrogate, and transform tools into instruments of survival and liberation.
AI is not your enemy.
Complacency is.
Exclusion is.
Refusing to learn is.
The question isn’t whether AI will change the world. It already has. The question is whether Black voices will help lead that change – or be left reacting to it after the fact.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s this: when we control the tools, we control the narrative.
