From Civil Rights to Space Rights, that’s the motto of National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., who will take the next step into celestial spaces when he interviews the famous Sophia the Robot at the inaugural Tech with Soul virtual conference on Tuesday, January 4.

Tech This Out News and Digital Mind State plan to join We Are Digital to present the first annual Tech with Soul conference featuring Dr. Chavis, Sophia the Robot, and an all-star lineup that also includes Dr. George C. Fraser and Fivio Foreign, who plans the first NFT dance, the Woo Walk.

“I am pleased to participate in the first annual Tech with Soul conference. I look forward to the upcoming fireside chat with Sophia the Robot,” Dr. Chavis remarked.

“This will boost Black people and The Black Press of America even further into the AI and digital space.”

Tech with Soul counts as the premier destination for people of color, including tech leaders, designers, innovators, corporate and government leaders, and scholars to gather to address today’s issues in the tech sector during this year’s CES.

The conference goal is to educate and raise awareness of the lagging participation and opportunities offered to the BIPOC community.

The conference has been designed to propel and “future-proof businesses,” said Mike Johns, the founder of Tech with Soul and the CEO of Digital Mind State.

“What separates Tech with Soul from other events is our appeal to people of color. This is the first of many to come, Las Vegas and CES is the perfect destination to host such an iconic event,” Johns stated.

He added that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated investments in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence on a global scale, simultaneously creating a range of complex challenges, including questions surrounding job security risks and equity.

At 8 p.m. EST, Dr. Chavis will engage Sophia the Robot in what Johns called a timely and pivotal dialogue on automation and robotic advancements affecting Black America and global society.

“I think this will be important,” Dr. Chavis insisted. “They have rarely allowed such interaction with Sophia the Robot, and this will be a pivotal moment because it’s not just about today, it’s about our future.”

Johns said he thought it essential that Dr. Chavis and Sophia the Robot discuss automation and its importance for African Americans in particular.

Tech with Soul 2022 also promises to bring together the best and brightest in tech and to create a “unique space for people of color technologists to exchange ideas, share their professional journeys, and network with like-minded business and tech professionals,” Johns added.

“This is the first of what will be an annual event,” Johns stated.

“Tech with Soul was really created out of the need that businesses are future-proof and that people of color understand the importance of how to maneuver in the world of technology, especially in this data-driven world.”

“Data can be used for good and bad,” Johns continued.

“It’s very important with technology like AI and algorithms and the interpretation of data that we are in the room and included in those conversations. If we’re not, manipulations will happen at a fast rate, and we will be left out.”

The conference begins at 3 p.m. EST.

To register for the live stream, send an email to events@techthisout.news.