Nevermind—Some of This AI Is Scary (Especially for Black Representation) By James Love

 

Nevermind—Some of This AI Is Scary (Especially for Black Representation)

By James Love

AI is powerful—but not always positive. If you’re Black and online, you’ve likely seen AI-generated content that misrepresents, mocks, or erases you. Here’s why it’s scary—and what you need to know.

You Thought AI Was the Future—Until You Saw the Content

At first, you believed in the hype. You said it yourself: AI is one of the greatest inventions we have. And that’s still true. The technology is brilliant. The possibilities are huge. But then you started watching the videos—the AI slop, the deepfake content, the distorted images of Black people—and suddenly the future didn’t feel so hopeful.

It felt… scary.

Why Some AI Content Feels Like a Digital Attack

You’ve probably seen it by now—AI-generated videos and images that make Black people look exaggerated, violent, sexualized, or outright dehumanized. These aren’t accidents. They’re a result of biased training data and systems built without Black voices at the table.

The result?

An internet full of fake, sloppy, low-quality images that reinforce every harmful stereotype you’ve ever seen—and some you haven’t.

And the worst part? Many people can’t even tell it’s AI.

This Will Affect How People See You—Even If It’s Not You

Let’s be real. If people aren’t trained to recognize AI-generated content, they’ll absorb whatever is placed in front of them. That means harmful portrayals of Black people created by machines will shape real-world opinions.

It doesn’t matter if it’s fake. It still creates bias.

It still fuels racism.

It still makes it harder for you to walk into a room and be seen as anything other than what the algorithm fed someone last night.

But AI Isn’t All Bad—It Still Has Promise

Here’s the nuance: AI can be healing—or it can be harmful.

It depends on how we use it.

We can use AI and virtual reality to:

• Support mental health
• Build immersive therapy experiences
• Preserve and amplify Black culture
• Create safe digital spaces for healing

Or… we can let it keep pushing algorithmic racism, spreading AI slop, and rewriting reality with lies.

The choice isn’t just technical—it’s ethical. It’s cultural. And it matters.

So What Can You Do? Stay Alert and Stay Human

If you’re a creator, a thinker, or just someone trying to stay conscious:

• Learn how to spot AI vs non-AI content
• Push back against fake representations
• Use AI to build, not to mock or erase
• Create content that reflects truth, depth, and humanity—especially Black humanity

You don’t have to reject AI altogether. But you do have to approach it with wisdom. This is one of the most interesting—and dangerous—tools we’ve ever built. And we can’t afford to sleep on how it’s being used.

Final Thoughts: The Future Isn’t Neutral—It’s Shaped by What We Let In

AI isn’t just shaping technology. It’s shaping culture. If you don’t speak up, someone else will speak for you—using fake faces, fake voices, and fake stories.

Don’t let that happen.

Use your real voice.

Use your mind.

Stay awake.