As a technology educator, professor, business owner of 30yrs, keynote speaker globally, and international mentor. In today’s digital age, it’s vital for African American’s and Africans to take ownership of their digital identity, content and visibility. One powerful and often overlooked step is simply Googling and AIing your own name and as a business owner Google and AI your business. This isn’t about vanity, it’s about vigilance as a business owner, visibility to be seen, and voice that can be heard.
Understanding how your name, image, business or brand shows up online is the a powerful step toward controlling your narrative, especially in a world increasingly shaped by Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Internet of Things. When you Google yourself and your business you’re stepping into the same shoes as employers, law enforcement, or even AI algorithms. You’re seeing a digital reflection of how the world might perceive you and how tech tells the world about you.
These “data sets” are important, as Dr. Kia Fu Lee has repeatedly stated that “data is the new oil,” businesses need to own their data and manage what is shared and how.
This is critical for African American and African professionals, creators, educators, and youth to ensure their online footprint is accurate, empowering, and protective of their future opportunities. AI systems to search algorithms are trained on data that often excludes or misrepresents Africans, African Americans and those of the African Diaspora.
By researching how AI “sees” you through tools like ChatGPT, PI.ai and Perplexity, or public data repositories you can learn what the digital world knows (or doesn’t know) about you.
The false narratives and the true narratives that may or may not be shared are important.
For Black entrepreneurs, educators, artists, or activists, this knowledge may help in building a powerful personal brand and ensure that your achievements are accurately
recorded and searchable. AI is biased, racist, false information and can either build a business or destroy it from false content.
Be sure to know that if your African American or African law enforcement is using AI for observation and monitoring in those communities. There should be efforts to teach youth and teens how to search and analyze their digital footprint, to empower them to take charge of their online digital legacy. Whether it’s cleaning up social media, building a
professional LinkedIn presence, or contributing positive content like blogs or videos, this is digital self-defense and self-expression.
As William Jackson, CEO of MetaverseWP shares: “If African Americans and Africans don’t shape their story digitally, AI will write it for them. It may not be the truth you want told.” The African writer Chinua Achebe has stated, “until the lion writes his own story, the hunter only tells one side.” So, don’t wait for others to define you online. Google yourself, AI yourself, research yourself and business in AI. Then write, post, build, and brand the legacy you want the world and AI to know.
William Jackson, MAT CEO MetaverseWP & My Quest To Teach
Board Member of L&D Nexus (Dubai) , Board Member of World Metaverse Council (Slovenia), Board Member of One Africa Forum (Johannesburg), Board Member L&D Africa
(Nairobi)
