Music & AI: Ethics at the Crossroads

WATCH: My moderation of a panel on AI & Ethics at SF Hip-Hop Foundation Event in SF

In mid August of this year history was made. The inaugural SF Hip-Hop Cultural Renaissance event brought together some of the most forward-thinking voices in artificial intelligence, music, and digital civil rights for a groundbreaking conversation about the future we’re building—and who gets to build it. “The Music and AI: Ethics at the Crossroads” panel wasn’t just another tech discussion; it was a cultural moment where hip-hop’s legacy of innovation met the frontier of AI, asking the hard questions about equity, representation, and power in the digital age. Click the image above to watch now!

I love AI, and I love to think critically about how we can use artificial intelligence to the best of our ability to help humanity. I studied a lot about both ethics and technology before this opportunity came to me. Despite that, I have to admit I was quite nervous before the panel began. There was so much to discuss. I wondered every morning: How deep do we go? What do we stay away from? How do we have the conversation and not get bogged down into too much tech jargon and risk losing our audience. I didn’t have to worry. It turned out ok. Not because of me, but because of the group of folks on deck for this conversation.

I was honored to have been around an extraordinary panel of visionaries: @techwithx (X.Eyee), CEO of Malo Santo and Senior Advisor for UC Berkeley’s AI Policy, who brought critical insights on building culturally sound AI products; @seandammit (Sean Kantrowitz), Director of Media and Content at @fyi.ai (will.i.am’s FYI), who illuminated how AI can serve creativity rather than replace it; I represented my org 64 Blocks ( @real64blocks ) and the Bishop Chronicles podcast, connecting hip-hop philosophy, chess strategy, and technological wisdom; and @juliemwenah (Julie Wenah), Chairwoman of the Digital Civil Rights Coalition, who powerfully reminded us that diverse teams solve the most important questions about building technology that serves all communities. Each panelist brought their unique expertise and lived experience to a conversation that was as urgent as it was inspiring.

This conversation would not have been possible without the vision and courage of the SF Hip-Hop Foundation founders, Kamel Jacot-Bell and @alexaquino (Alex Aquino), who understood that hip-hop culture must be at the center—not the margins—of conversations about artificial intelligence and our technological future. Thank you for creating the space where culture, ethics, and innovation could collide in the most powerful way. Your commitment to preserving hip-hop’s legacy while ensuring our community shapes the future of technology is exactly the leadership this moment demands. This is what it looks like when we don’t just talk about being “in the room where it happens”—we build the room ourselves. When people wonder what the value of studying philosophy is, I think of incredible days like this, as an example. Be sure to visit SF Hip-Hop Foundation to learn more about what they do and how you can be apart of their upcoming events. If you are interested in having me discuss or moderate a panel on silicon valley tech culture, stoic philosophy, strategy, leadership or adjacent topics please contact me here or on IG @bishopchronicles . Please share it if you like it.