Being 1.5 is an app developed in an effort to make online mental health care broadly accessible to the Black community by leveraging machine learning capabilities. Created as a direct response by Newsome to the rage, anxiety, and depression that so many other Black Americans felt in the wake of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor's murders earlier this year, Being 1.5 seeks to mitigate trauma stemming from daily racial microaggressions by providing an accessible platform for Black people offering a range of free services that feels like a genuine therapeutic exchange.
“As I see it, the goal of human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) is not to develop AI that mirrors the entirety of humanity, but to create AI that reflects those aspects of humanity that we most admire: qualities like compassion and empathy.” -- Rashaad Newsome
Rashaad Newsome: Being 1.5 citywide wheatpaste campaign
In anticipation of the Being 1.5 app’s public launch in spring 2021, Newsome will initiate a citywide wheatpaste campaign throughout historically Black NYC neighborhoods to build awareness of the work as a free mental health resource for the Black community. Featuring a new poster, especially designed by the artist, the campaign aims to “make mental health sexy” for Black folks, and offer alternative strategies for community building and cultivating awareness beyond digital outreach and social media.
