Understanding AI, Power, and Possibility

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant future—it’s here, shaping the ways we learn, work, and connect. From classrooms to boardrooms, AI holds extraordinary potential, but it also carries real risks: reinforcing bias, eroding trust, and widening inequities. In this timely and interactive session, Dr. Avriel Epps will unpack the changing landscape of AI through the lenses of power, culture, and possibility. Drawing on real-world examples and current research, Avriel will explore:

  • How AI bias emerges and the ways it impacts marginalized communities.

  • The responsibilities of educators, leaders, and organizations in guiding ethical use of AI.

  • Practical strategies to navigate risk while leveraging AI for creativity, connection, and equity.

  • How we can collectively shape a more human future in an increasingly automated world.

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Meet Your Presenter

Dr. Avriel Epps

Speaker Dr. Avriel Epps

Dr. Avriel Epps (she/they) is a computational social scientist and a Civic Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell University CATLab. Avriel’s work explores how bias in predictive technologies affects racial, gender, and sociopolitical identity development. She aims to help others understand the complex ways that algorithm design and computer-mediated social expectations—often communicated through artificial intelligence systems—impact the beliefs, behaviors, and health of developing humans. Avriel completed her Ph.D. at Harvard University in Education with a concentration in Human Development. She also holds an S.M. in Data Science from Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA. Previously a Ford Foundation predoctoral fellow, Avriel is currently a Fellow at The National Center on Race and Digital Justice, a Roddenberry Fellow, and a Public Voices Fellow on Technology in the Public Interest with the Op-Ed Project in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation. Avriel is also the co-founder of AI4Abolition, a community organization dedicated to increasing AI literacy in marginalized communities and building community power with and around data-driven technologies. Avriel has been invited to speak at various venues including tech giants like Google and TikTok, and for The US Courts, focusing on algorithmic bias and fairness. As an educator, she has taught and designed courses for Harvard and EdX on subjects like Digital Privacy, Data Science Ethics, and Adolescent Development. Her scholarship has not only appeared in academic journals and handbooks but has also reached wider audiences through popular outlets like The Atlantic and the Emmy nominated PBS documentary "TikTok, Boom." She speaks to an audience of over 60k followers on her Instagram and TikTok, with short form videos garnering over 20 million views. In the Fall of 2025 she will begin her tenure as Assistant Professor of Fair and Responsible Data Science at Rutgers University. She is the author of the new book, A Kids Book About AI Bias (DK/Penguin Random House, 2025). To learn more about Dr. Avriel Epps or bring her to speak, visit: https://www.speakoutnow.org/speakers/avrielepps

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