Short Thoughts

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I found myself reflecting on the immense gap of privilege created during the era of American slavery. Slavery existed globally, but its impact on Black Americans was uniquely devastating. While there are more reasons for this than I’m even aware of, two in particular strike me presently. First, the Industrial Revolution generated tremendous prosperity that Black Americans were excluded from. Second, they were unable to participate in the opportunity of cheap, claimable land.

My own family’s history benefited from this land. My great-grandfather arrived in the Pacific Northwest and purchased farmland. He established a family farming corporation that accumulated numerous plots of land which our family still owns today. As the last of the family farmers prepares to retire, that land will be sold, resulting in a substantial profit.

These historical factors placed one group of Americans at an incredible advantage while another was fighting for the basic rights promised, but not yet bestowed, by the U.S. Constitution. By the time the Civil Rights movement secured these rights, the economic damage was already deep-seated.

Artificial Intelligence represents a unique moment in our history. It holds the potential to bridge this gap. However, I fear the opposite will occur. I fear that AI will not decrease the gap, but rather widen it until it becomes insurmountable.

With hindsight, we look back at the past with shame, wishing we could change what transpired. We cannot change the past. But I wonder if we are currently overlooking a crucial moment to change the future, or if we will repeat the sins of our fathers?