Artificial Intelligence (AI) intersects with LGBTQIA+ advocacy in powerful ways. As we explore the landscape of queer visibility and progress, AI plays a crucial role in shaping conversations, amplifying voices and fostering understanding. However, AI faces challenges related to discrimination, as biases in algorithms can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. By addressing biases and promoting inclusivity, we can harness AI for positive change.  

Recently, during a virtual event hosted by Pride @ Prophet—the firm’s LGBTQIA+ employee resource group—an internal panel of AI experts and users engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of AI and identity. 

Pride @ Prophet Panel Discussion 

Every June, Pride @ Prophet hosts interactive panel-led discussions on topic areas that delve into the queer community’s intersection with workplace, culture and DEI trends. This year, our panel focused on the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and identity. Given AI’s increasing influence in the workplace and its implications for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), our hybrid presentation featured a live ChatGPT demonstration alongside an expert-led discussion. The event was engaging and informative for the global Prophet community. 

Pride Panel 6/12/14 starting from the top left to right Ashely Burgess, Jesse Smith, Mario Mugrace, Christian Cortes 

AI and Biases Around Identity 

Panelists discussed the explosion of AI-driven technology emerging in the workplace in just the past year alone and its lightning speed pace in which queer identity is being extrapolated from complex data sets that are rich with knowledge but littered with biases around identity, DEI and the ongoing crusade towards equality and inclusion.  

For instance, sexual orientation and gender identity are often missing or hard to measure in data because they can’t be directly observed. This absence perpetuates inequities and opens the door for algorithmic discrimination. Researchers and organizations like Queer in AI are actively addressing this issue. They anonymize data and explore ways to mitigate bias in large language models (LLMs) to ensure fair representation and avoid perpetuating stereotypes. By promoting inclusivity and cooperative AI systems, we can work toward a more equitable future. 

Inherent Queerness in the AI Industry 

Another topic explored was the inherent queerness within the AI industry. Influential leaders like Sam Altman openly embrace their queer identities both personally and professionally. And groundbreaking platforms such as ‘AI Comes Out of the Closet’ are shaping a uniquely queer industry within a predominantly heteronormative technology landscape. 

“AI Comes Out of the Closet” is an innovative system developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It merges AI technology with LGBTQIA+ advocacy by simulating social interactions related to “coming out of the closet.” Users engage with AI-generated virtual characters, allowing them to refine their approach to LGBTQIA+ support in a safe and controlled environment.  

Live Demonstration: ChatGPT & DEI 

The session took an exhilarating turn as our AI experts engaged in real-time interactions with OpenAI’s ChatGPT software. Crowd-sourced word prompts were quickly transformed into three paragraphs per second of generated content. Nearly 100 Propheteers participated, dissecting the platform’s tone regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). They explored the accuracy and usefulness of the responses, as well as the platform’s limitations related to identity.  

The prompts spanned from practical requests like ‘Give me 10 reasons why workplace acceptance is crucial for people who identify as queer’ to creative challenges such as ‘Compose a Shakespearean Sonnet about a queer professional coming out at work, infused with an Aussie flair.’ The platform’s captivating responses fueled even wilder crowd-sourced inputs, including cultural colloquialisms and their reflection in the generated content. 

Image 1: ChatGPT Prompt and Answer 

Conclusion 

The session concluded with our experts and attendees sharing real-world examples of how AI has empowered their day-to-day work, particularly in the context of DEI-related initiatives at Prophet. Our global community gained valuable insights, practical tips and cautionary considerations for using these platforms, especially when discussing sensitive topics like identity, DEI and broader LGBTQIA+ advocacy. 

I had a great time moderating this panel and want to thank the panelists: Jesse Smith, Mario Mugrace and Ashely Burgess. 

Other exciting Pride @ Prophet programming this month includes: 

• Lunch & Learn: Identity & Innovation with the Co-Founders of Ringlet, a social planning technology with big ambitions to fight the loneliness epidemic. 
• Keynote Speaker: Queer Code and Migrant Consciousness: Crafting a New Poetics of Home with Halim Madi, a global poet whose work delves into queerness, the immigrant experience and the vivid colors evoked by plants. 
• Local Events: Pride Social Gatherings in Prophet’s offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Austin. 

Happy Pride Month!  

Each year Prophet surveys thousands of U.S. consumers about brands that are most relevant in their lives. The 2023 Relentlessly Relevant Brands report shows the brand relevance of more than 250 brands using data from those familiar with them. Analyzing the results from different perspectives yields provocative findings. This year we decided to take a close look at seven of the major social media brands on the “makes me feel inspired” survey question. Many people are impacted by social media brands in some way on a daily basis. We also decided to dissect this angle in part because the pinnacle of a brand connection is to be inspiring. We found an interesting dichotomy. The brands either fell into a clear high or low inspiring grouping. 

Social Media Brands That Inspire 

The high group included YouTube and TikTok, which were in the top 8%, and Pinterest was in the top 1% in the sample of 257 brands. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and WhatsApp, in sharp contrast, were in the lowest 20%.   

Each brand has its own story, which is interesting and insightful. It is hard to generalize, but it seems true that the high group has coolness, momentum and a superior ability to gain engagement in competition with those in the low group. Let’s take a closer look. 

The inspiration level at Pinterest is amazing and worth exploring. Why? First, it is user personalized—content relevant to a person, for example, can be pinned to their own board. There are also niche communities so that ideas can be shared around common topics. Second, the experience is visual, easy to use and inspiring. The user gets to discover high-quality images and use a search tool to find others. Third, the experience is enriched by having e-commerce opportunities embedded. 

The characteristics of the other two high group members are of interest as well. TikTok has short-video content that satisfies people’s attention span and is entertaining, discoverable and sharable with the possibility that any one spot could go viral. It has a user-friendly interface with creative tools and effects to enhance and customize videos that attract top talent. YouTube is convenient, assessable, and has vast user-generated content all of which attracts content creators and audience members. It offers high-quality educational, novel, entertaining and provocative content which means every person will find something that appeals to them. The AI algorithm is advanced; you are served up content that you will like. 

Social Media Brands Lacking Inspiration 

The lower four brands are not judged in isolation. They can slip by simply being “not as good as” the big three. But individually they each have issues that are not easy to deal with. 

Facebook has been battling negative public perception with respect to privacy and misinformation, fake news, and generally harmful or inappropriate content. This has spread into the political realm and has been amplified by polarizing attitudes. For the younger audience, the appeal of alternatives is a factor. 

Twitter has a character limit that can be limiting next to alternatives and suggests a lack of content. It is associated with cyberbullying, trolling and frenetic overuse among the young. Twitter has also received critical media coverage for its acquisition by Elon Musk and his controversial views and his decision to sharply downsize the staff. 

Snapchat has an interface that is harder to use than competitors. It is aimed at younger users where TikTok has made inroads. While disappearing content has plusses, it can be inconvenient especially if it is the preferred social media vehicle for a person. Their story is interesting because Snapchat was a breakthrough brand at the time of launch (almost like a fad), but other social media brands have replicated their unique features making them easily replaceable and relevant among the core user base who now tend to prefer TikTok. 

Because WhatsApp was acquired by Meta, concerns about privacy, data sharing and the potential appearance of targeted advertising have become visible. It is dependent on an internet connection and requires a valid phone number, which some are uncomfortable giving up. Because of their end-to-end encryption, it can be hard to control false information. Finally, it can consume significant storage space on devices. However, even with these limitations, WhatsApp continues to be the most popular messaging app with more than 2 billion global users and may offer Meta an opportunity to reverse some of their negative in-market perceptions.  

How do you make your brand advance—really advance? Or how do you avoid seeing your brand decline or even crash? One answer is to look at other brands that have recently experienced a dramatic rise in relevance…and learn from them.

This year’s Prophet Brand Relevance Index® (BRI), surveyed 13,000 U.S. consumers to measure the strength of 228 brands from 25 categories across 16 dimensions. In a year of uncertainty, our findings revealed some of the biggest role model brand risers, which are the brands with the biggest jumps on relevance scores across Prophet’s four pillars of relevance: customer-obsessed, distinctly inspired, ruthlessly pragmatic and pervasively innovative. The research conducted by Prophet includes respondents that were active in the category and familiar with the brand. In other words, unlike other brand surveys, the affinity toward the brand is represented rather than distribution scope and awareness levels.

Brands with Rising Equity

There were six brands that increased their overall relevance score significantly during the last two years. Each has a story.

Electrolux had a meaningful brand uptick to reach No. 85 in the BRI rankings. While still lagging behind brands like KitchenAid (No. 3), Keurig (No. 34) and Dyson (No. 30), its rise was due in part to its increase on the innovation scales, likely driven by its new smart appliance products. Its name itself communicates a high-tech connotation in an increasingly digital-savvy era. Electrolux specifically enjoyed a notable increase in “Customer Obsession” or, let’s call it, brand loyalty. The introduction of a sustainability program and the announcement of a vacuum cleaner made out of recycled material most certainly played a key role. As the brand continues to expand in the U.S. market, expect to see more bold moves from Electrolux and growing relevance among consumers in the future.

While Charles Schwab (No. 114) trailed several category leaders—Vanguard (No.27), Fidelity (No. 56) and Robinhood (No. 50)—it still moved comfortably ahead of nine of the 15 financial services brands, increasing its marks on all dimensions. The Schwab appeal to “make managing money as easy as shopping on Amazon” probably felt right to people dealing with the pandemic. The brand played a leader role in mobile-first technology and integrating Google voice commands. Imagine saying, “Hey Google, check my Charles Schwab portfolio.” That’s a win for financial services.

USA Today (No. 214) rose from a bottom position to join the six mainstream media brands such as The New York Times (No. 125) and The Wall Street Journal (No. 201), both of which also rose. While still trailing far behind NPR, it gained impressive ground on “customer-obsessed” and “pervasively innovative.” The pandemic environment may have advanced its accessible and easy-to-read content and contributed to increased downloads of the USA Today mobile app.

“Success creates energy as well.”

United Airlines (No. 211) moved sharply up in 2020, even more so than other airline brands like Delta (No. 146) and American Airlines (No. 180), an interesting trend given our limited ability to travel during the pandemic. While still trailing Jet Blue, Southwest and Alaska, United earned consumers’ trust by partnering with Cleveland Clinic and Clorox to provide CleanPlus protection, offering in-airport COVID testing and much more.

Lemonade (No. 76) jumped to the top with USAA amongst the seven-brand insurance sector with advances in being “customer-obsessed” and “distinctly inspired.” With all the chaos of 2020, consumers no longer consider insurance an annoyance but rather an indispensable partner. The “new brand” has shaken up the industry by introducing an AI model that uses big data to offer a low price, a novel brand image that delights instead of scares, and a big heart that donates up to 49% of unclaimed premiums to nonprofits. These efforts help the brand become more visible, attractive and successful. Success creates energy as well.

Peloton vaulted to the No. 2 position behind Apple, edging out KitchenAid (No. 3) and Mayo Clinic (No. 4) in part based on large increases in being “customer-obsessed” and “ruthlessly pragmatic.” In a year when gyms shut down, Peloton moved quickly to set up instructors to lead classes from home and offered a 90-day free trial, all while delivering more than just an exercise platform, but rather a way to connect to a community that people desperately missed. In some ways, Peloton was in the right place at the right time with the right product, but they also hit the mark by being agile and innovative to quickly meet customers’ needs.