New commitment will equip learners, professionals, entrepreneurs, creators, and civic leaders to use, build with, and shape artificial intelligence.
LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AfroTech today announced a commitment to train one million people in artificial intelligence, expanding access to practical AI education and building a pipeline of skilled, workforce-ready talent for the AI era.
In partnership with leading Fortune 100 companies, the initiative equips learners at every stage, from working professionals, entrepreneurs, creators, and community leaders, with practical skills to understand and apply AI responsibly. Programming will focus on workplace readiness, agentic management, ethical AI, and the civic implications of systems increasingly used in hiring, housing, lending, health care, education, and public services.
“AI is becoming civic infrastructure,” said Morgan DeBaun, CEO of AfroTech. “It will influence who gets opportunity, who builds wealth, who receives care, and whose voice is heard. No one should be an afterthought in that future; everyone deserves the skills to help build it.”
AfroTech’s one-million-person commitment is designed to move beyond basic access to AI tools. The initiative will emphasize the knowledge and agency required to use AI productively, assess its risks, build new businesses and careers with it, and advocate for fair and accountable deployment.
“Access is the floor; ownership is the goal,” DeBaun said. “We don’t just need more people using AI, we need more founders, builders, investors, creators, and researchers shaping the companies, capital, and standards behind it.”
Through a combination of accessible learning experiences, virtual programming, live events, expert-led education, and community partnerships, AfroTech will create pathways for participants to apply AI in ways that drive tangible outcomes. The initiative will support small-business owners seeking to automate operations and pursue larger contracts; professionals navigating an evolving labor market; creators protecting and expanding the value of their work; and community institutions using technology to better serve residents.
AfroTech has already convened audiences around practical AI learning, including virtual AI programming and innovation challenges that bring together builders and emerging talent. The organization’s broader programming has also explored AI’s role in health equity and the need for human-centered approaches to emerging technology.
The initiative recognizes both AI’s promise and its risks. As AI systems become more embedded in daily life, people need the ability not only to participate in the technology economy, but also to interrogate and influence the systems that affect them.
“We can’t allow new technology to automate old problems at unprecedented speed,” DeBaun said. “Training one million people means one million more people with the confidence to use AI, the fluency to question it, and the power to create value with it.”
AfroTech will share additional details on program offerings, partnerships, curriculum, participation pathways, and progress toward the one-million-person goal in the coming months.
Want to get involved in the movement? Email partnerships@afrotech.com.
About AfroTech
AfroTech is a leading platform at the intersection of technology, culture, entrepreneurship, and the global Black community. Through media, experiences, education, and community, AfroTech connects innovators, founders, professionals, creators, investors, and companies working to build what is next. AfroTech’s events have convened thousands of attendees around areas including AI, cybersecurity, fintech, health, sustainability, and entrepreneurship
Media Contact:
Kate McDonald
kate.mcdonald@blavity.com
SOURCE AfroTech