As racial equity scholars and advocates, we tackle the gaps in our society from multiple vantage points. Inequality presents itself not only in the workplace but also in politics, domestic life, and more. This October, we are well into Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), and as we celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanic and Latinx* leaders, including many HBS alumni, and others, we also endeavor to examine how we can build a workplace, and a society, where they and other marginalized groups can thrive.
With this in mind, we’re exploring a few of the most pressing issues affecting Latinx people today. One emerging innovation on everyone’s mind is Artificial Intelligence (AI). We continue to have more questions than answers about AI and its long-term effects, but already we must interrogate how AI might perpetuate or even exacerbate existing inequality. Does AI present particular risks or harms to the Latinx community? HBS Racial Equity Fellow Broderick Turner unpacks such potential risks in a recent report.
Further, we examine the state of entrepreneurship and minority representation. How do Latinx people fare as entrepreneurs seeking funding for their original ideas?
We analyzed data derived from our Life & Leadership at HBS Alumni Survey to learn the challenges and successes Hispanic and Latinx HBS alumni face as they pursue their ventures.
These are just two of the many facets of race, gender, work, and life that affect our Hispanic and Latinx colleagues and alumni. In celebrating the rich history and impact of Latinx people on our society, we work toward ensuring our workplaces celebrate and value them as well.
*In this newsletter, we refer to a population that includes Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) Americans, Hispanic people who reside internationally, and people of Latin American origin, whom we refer to with the gender-inclusive term "Latinx.”
On AI and Bias Against Hispanic Americans
BiGS (Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society) Racial Equity Fellow Dr. Broderick Turner, who founded the Technology, Race, and Prejudice (TRAP) Lab, explains that AI may entrench societal biases against Hispanic Americans. Key findings include:
- Machine learning models are supplied with insufficient data to train on learning about Hispanic Americans, so Hispanic Americans are less likely to be recognized by AI.
- Language recognition models are unable to recognize code-switching between English and Spanish, which is how many Hispanic Americans communicate. Therefore, AI models are less likely to understand Hispanic Americans’ speech. For example, a frilly, pink dress may be classified as a prom dress when it is a Quinceañera dress.
- Skin color is insufficiently represented in data sets that teach AI about the human population, making AI less likely to distinguish among darker-hued Hispanic Americans.
While these takeaways might be dismaying, they show us that there are ways to improve AI models by working to correct the biased information they are fed. Better representation of minorities across search terminology, language, and imagery can improve how AI represents and affects Latinx populations. Further, this shows that we must hire more Hispanic Americans to work on AI models. By ensuring that minorities are in the room during development, we can make it more likely that AI has a net-positive impact on those groups in daily use.
To learn more about Professor Turner’s Race, Prejudice, and Tech research, read his interview with our BiGS colleagues HERE.
Click HERE to listen to Professor Turner’s Podcast on the Intersection of Race and Technology at WBUR Radio Boston.
A Snapshot of HBS Latinx Alumni Founders
Narrowing our lens on a more concentrated population, we examined the state of HBS’s Hispanic and Latinx alumni entrepreneurs. RGE supports an ongoing longitudinal study of all MBA graduates to gain a deeper understanding of their life and career trajectories, exploring the nuances of race and gender among this high-achieving population. Many HBS alumni found companies, and in the most recent survey conducted in 2021 and 2022, we delved into their experiences.
The following insights illuminate our understanding of where Latinx and Hispanic entrepreneurs thrive and where they might need our support as DEI researchers and practitioners:
- Hispanic and Latinx alumni reported raising higher-than-average amounts of funding from venture capital sources compared to alumni entrepreneurs of other racial groups, including white alumni entrepreneurs, amounting to an average of $55 million compared to the overall average of $30.7 million. However, their ventures received lower-than-average funding from angel investors and their own personal money or family and friends.
- Hispanic and Latinx entrepreneurs reported the highest average satisfaction with their professional accomplishments (compared to alumni entrepreneurs of other racial groups) and expressed generally high satisfaction with all facets of their careers.
Considering the mixture of accomplishments and areas where we hope representation will grow, we should unapologetically celebrate our Latinx alumni and their enriching contributions to our society while remembering there is still much work to do. As we move forward, we should commit to effecting these changes for the future we envision.
