POCIT. Telling the stories and thoughts of the underrepresented in tech.

Dr. Ayanna Howard is set to become the 12th president of the esteemed HBCU Spelman College. Howard will become the university’s roboticist and artificial intelligence expert.

Additionally, her new book,

Dr Erica Schwartz will be the first Black woman to lead the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The Senate confirmed Schwartz in a 51-44 vote on Wednesday, 5 August. Schwartz, who will run the federal agency that primarily focuses on infectious diseases, was Trump’s third nominee for the position in 18 months.

A book deal from a Black author has collapsed after concerns that the writer used artificial intelligence. The manuscript Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, by Jerry Falade, was retracted from sale by its agent after receiving an offer for more than $2 million from Minotaur, owned by Macmillan US, according to

AI operations platform Ellis AI announced it raised $10 million in seed funding from investors including First Round Capital, 645 Ventures, Harlem Capital, Khosla Ventures, Thrive Capital, Slow Capital, Kearny Jackson, and Ariel Alternatives CEO Mellody Hobson.

Its founder,

Plans to build offices and a data center in Brick Lane, East London, have been approved. The decision was made on Wednesday 29th July by British Labour minister Matthew Pennycook on behalf of his boss, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, according to