"Artificial intelligence has moved quickly from a distant idea to an everyday presence. It shows up in the way we write, plan, search, and even make sense of our emotional lives. For many people, this convenience feels almost magical. Yet for Black people, the rise of AI introduces a different kind of psychological landscape. It is a space where our identities are filtered through systems that were not built with our histories, our realities, or our voices in mind."
"This can create a moment of dissonance for the user. You ask a question about identity or emotion or lived experience, and the response feels slightly off, subtly stereotyped, or culturally disconnected. Psychologically, this misalignment matters. It can produce a quiet sense of being misunderstood, a familiar feeling for many Black people who already move through systems where they are often inaccurately perceived."
Artificial intelligence has become embedded in everyday tasks and affects how identities are represented. For Black people, AI often processes identities through systems that lack consideration of Black histories, realities, and voices. Training datasets contain distorted portrayals or omissions of Black people, and biased inputs produce biased outputs. When AI responses feel stereotyped or culturally disconnected, users experience psychological dissonance and a sense of being misunderstood. These repeated misrepresentations carry emotional consequences. Strengthening digital literacy enables recognition of how AI works, its limitations, and provides psychological grounding to identify, challenge, and mitigate biased outputs to protect mental wellbeing.
Read at Psychology Today
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