In 2025, after three decades leading AI innovation at IBM and NASA, Calvin founded IntegrityFirst.ai to redefine the future of Ethical AI. IntegrityFirst.ai offers a cutting-edge AI Ethical Framework, supported by a premier consulting group of ethical AI experts, to guide organizations through the intricate challenges of AI ethics. Our mission is to ensure AI systems are not only powerful but also ethical, equitable, and designed to serve humanity, leveraging my extensive experience to deliver scalable and responsible solutions for enterprises.
In 2022, I decided to share my story by writing a book that exposed the harmful impacts of AI systems on people of color. Hidden in White Sight was released in 2023, becoming a bestseller and sparking a global movement.
This led to something bigger: I founded AI 4 Black Kids, a nonprofit to educate and empower future generations, and launched Street Justice: AI Unhinged, a podcast uncovering real stories of those affected by AI. On the podcast, I reveal What They Don’t Want You to Know.
In June 2019, my life took an unexpected turn. I thought I might not make it—not just because of the health scare that forced me into ‘self-reflection mode,’ but due to the overwhelming guilt of staying silent about AI’s risks, especially its impact on my community. I even blame AI for contributing to that scare—not the technology itself, but its use in medical decisions prioritizing cost-cutting over personalized care, often with harmful outcomes. Read more about my experience and the link between race-based medicine and AI here: Race-Based Medicine in the Age of AI: Why Profit Still Trumps Patient Care.
In 2022, I decided to share my story by writing a book that exposed the harmful impacts of AI systems on people of color. Hidden in White Sight was released in 2023, becoming a bestseller and sparking a global movement.
This led to something bigger: I founded AI 4 Black Kids, a nonprofit to educate and empower future generations, and launched Street Justice: AI Unhinged, a podcast uncovering real stories of those affected by AI. On the podcast, I reveal What They Don’t Want You to Know.
Calvin D. Lawrence’s journey into the world of artificial intelligence began in the early 1990s when he earned his Master’s degree in AI on a prestigious fellowship from his first employer, NASA. It was during this time that Calvin’s fascination with AI blossomed, as he worked alongside some of the brightest minds tackling the challenges of early AI development.
Reflecting on those formative years, Calvin often says, “AI was different back then. Progress was constrained by technology and resources that we now take for granted.” He points to three major limitations that defined the era:
In addition to these observations, Calvin believes that much of what is marketed as AI today doesn’t align with true machine learning or self-learning capabilities. As he puts it, “Most of the items labeled as AI today are not AI at all—they’re just a combination of analytics and the Internet of Things.”
Calvin D. Lawrence, a visionary in artificial intelligence, earned his master’s degree in the 1990s, establishing himself as a trailblazer in a rapidly emerging field. With a career defined by groundbreaking achievements, he led IBM’s pioneering efforts in responsible AI, ultimately becoming the company’s first-ever CTO of Responsible AI. Recognized for his extraordinary contributions, Calvin was named an IBM Distinguished Engineer in 2015, cementing his legacy as a leader shaping the future of ethical and innovative AI solutions. He has over 30 patents and is a member of IBM’s Academy of Technology.
With a career spanning almost 30 years and numerous influential roles, including CTO of Smarter Cities, CTO of Middle East and Africa, and CTO of Cognitive Computing, Lawrence has amassed over 30 patents. He is also the award-winning author of Hidden in White Sight, a critical work examining AI's role in systemic bias, and the founder of AI 4 Black Kids, a global nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through ethical AI education.