Cronkite Professor of Practice Nonny de la Peña co-authored the 2024 LDC U.S. Latinos in Tech Report: AI, released this month, which traces the important role Latinos are playing in the growth of artificial intelligence technology across the country.
The report found, among other trends, that Latinos are early adopters of AI. Latino-owned businesses, for example, are using AI technology at twice the rate of their white counterparts. Latino teens and young adults also outpace their white peers in their use of AI for information, creating images and making music.
The report also highlights Latinos’ significant role in the AI workforce: The growth of Latino representation in technical AI roles since 2018 (58.7%) outpaced that of the overall U.S. population (25.8%).
“This report offers important insights about an often overlooked community and their impact on this new technology vertical,” said de la Peña. “It highlights the crucial role Latinos are playing in the AI revolution—from driving groundbreaking innovations to transforming the workforce with increased representation in key tech industries.”
The report documented how demographic shifts in the United States position Latinos to play a strong role in the technology workforce, but that challenges persist, especially in senior leadership roles. It provides recommendations for leaders in government, education and industry, to support advancement in AI.
De la Peña co-authored the report with Guillermo Diaz, a former Cisco chief information officer. The report was produced by the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) in partnership with Conectado Inc. and Wells Fargo.
De la Peña directs Arizona State University’s Master of Arts in Narrative and Emerging Media program, led jointly by the Cronkite School and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Students in the program learn how to direct, produce and create impactful content using emerging media cutting-edge techniques such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality, AI, and experiential media in this one-of-a-kind program in the heart of the Los Angeles media scene.
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