Technology has long shaped who has access to opportunity. As artificial intelligence begins reshaping our workplaces, schools, and daily lives, we must ensure communities of color are not left catching up once again.
In 2020, the pandemic risked widening a digital divide that has put people of color at a disadvantage for years. Access to the technologies that are shaping the world should be available to all. When the internet emerged as the technology of note, children needed access for their education. Adults needed access to find work and succeed in their jobs. Increasingly, upward mobility and economic opportunity depend on having the skills to use the tools transforming our economy.
In Harris County, we worked to make sure our residents were not on the wrong side of that vast digital divide. Through the Office of Broadband, we distributed thousands of hotspots, established more than 100 public Wi-Fi locations, and invested in infrastructure to increase internet availability for under-resourced families.
Today, another divide is emerging. In 2020, the challenge was whether families could get online. Now, communities need to learn to navigate a world increasingly influenced by AI or risk being left behind. More than access, responsible AI requires thinking critically about the technology, its outputs, and the companies behind it. AI literacy builds a foundation for that reflection. We cannot allow Black and Brown communities to be the last to benefit from another technological transformation.
That is why I was proud to partner with Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) in September to bring the AI Fluency Initiative to Houston. The program seeks to provide people with practical exposure to AI and show how these tools can be used in jobs, education, small business, and more. Open to the public, programs like this give residents the knowledge to participate in a changing economy and shape the systems developing around them.
Technology companies also have a role to play in making information accessible. OpenAI partnered with NAN on AI literacy in Houston and has supported practical training across the country through OpenAI Academy. Local businesses, older adults, and educators are among the groups the company has targeted through these efforts. This kind of engagement matters. The organizations building AI tools must equip communities with the skills and confidence to use them effectively. When people understand its capabilities and limitations, AI can help them address problems they are already facing.
Entrepreneurs like Kaija Pack are already putting that potential into practice here in Texas. As she built Break Life Houston, she leveraged ChatGPT to develop business strategies and expand her customer base, ultimately growing her business enough to open a second location.
Small business owners like Kaija should understand how AI can help them compete. Workers should understand how it may change their industries. Students should learn how to use these tools responsibly. Communities should understand AI so they can have a meaningful voice when decisions about the technology affect them.
This principle has guided much of my public service. Earlier this year, Commissioner Lesley Briones and I championed Harris County’s first worker Consultation Policy because workers deserve a say in the choices that will impact their livelihoods. Those voices are amplified when we understand their means of empowerment.
AI literacy is a path to that understanding. A seat at the table is most powerful when people have the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves.
Understanding includes risks as well as opportunities. We need to learn how to use these tools safely, and developers have the responsibility to build safety into their systems. OpenAI, for example, has invested in external testing, safeguards, and publicly documented standards for model behavior. Developers should pair innovation with accountability.
Closing the AI divide will be a collaborative effort. Harris County already has networks like our Digital Navigators that connect residents with technology and digital skills. We should build on initiatives like these and make practical AI education accessible at a greater scale.
Too often, people of color have been asked to adapt to new systems after they were built and the rules were already written. With AI, we have an opportunity to be involved from the outset.
The future should not simply happen to us. We should have a hand in shaping it.
