Futurecast by AI NEXTGEN America
Sep 17, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min · 12 segments
This course empowers executives to create an organizational roadmap for AI adoption that balances risk, innovation, and mission outcomes. Participants will learn how to develop a comprehensive vision…
Natalie Stoney WaltersGuest
Victor BrownGuestSo as a mathematician myself, it gives me great honor to just talk about some historical legacy in AI.
AI wasn't built yesterday.
It was built sometime as a concept back in the 50s.
There was a lot of mathematics that went behind it.
And as a biased applied mathematician myself, AI is just applied math, right? Okay.
We'll debate that later.
But is it also important that this future of AI is built on intellectual foundations laid decades ago? Dr.
He was also the chair of the mathematics department.
a pioneer in probability theory, game theory, and information theory.
At one time, he was the most published black mathematician globally.
His work forms part of the mathematical backbone of modern AI systems.
He was the first African American elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the first to hold a tenure of professorship at UC Berkeley, and among the earliest African Americans to earn a PhD in mathematics.
At Howard University, we have his picture hanging proudly in the math department.
And at Berkeley, they have a dorm named after him.
His granddaughter, Lisa Blackwell, is actually making a documentary in his honor.
She is looking for funders and supporters for this.
And it's a labor of love.
So these are just some
questions here, just some questions to ponder.
If at any point you all in the audience say, I have a budding question or a comment or what have you, kindly come to the microphone here at the center of the room and you can ask a question or provide a comment at any point in time.
So you do not need to wait to the end, okay?
Did anybody go to
the introduction AI session? Anybody? Okay, a couple of you.
Okay, okay.
So as a mathematician myself, it gives me great honor to just talk about some historical legacy in AI.
AI wasn't built yesterday.
It was built sometime as a concept back in the 50s.
There was a lot of mathematics that went behind it.
And as a biased applied mathematician myself, AI is just applied math, right? Okay.
We'll debate that later.
But is it also important that this future of AI is built on intellectual foundations laid decades ago? Dr.
He was also the chair of the mathematics department.
a pioneer in probability theory, game theory, and information theory.
At one time, he was the most published black mathematician globally.
His work forms part of the mathematical backbone of modern AI systems.
He was the first African American elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the first to hold a tenure of professorship at UC Berkeley, and among the earliest African Americans to earn a PhD in mathematics.
At Howard University, we have his picture hanging proudly in the math department.
And at Berkeley, they have a dorm named after him.
His granddaughter, Lisa Blackwell, is actually making a documentary in his honor.
She is looking for funders and supporters for this.
And it's a labor of love.
So these are just some
questions here, just some questions to ponder.
If at any point you all in the audience say, I have a budding question or a comment or what have you, kindly come to the microphone here at the center of the room and you can ask a question or provide a comment at any point in time.
So you do not need to wait to the end, okay?
Did anybody go to
the introduction AI session? Anybody? Okay, a couple of you.
Okay, okay.
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