Every day, Americans put about 50 million health questions to Microsoft’s Copilot and Bing. More than eight in 10 physicians say they already use AI in their work and believe that proof of safety for these tools is essential. According to a new NAACP report, the emerging technology has quietly become part of how healthcare gets delivered in this country. But the nation’s largest civil rights organization is warning that Black communities may be at risk of being left behind or even harmed by it.

The NAACP and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi released “AI Fluency is a Challenge on Both Sides of the Exam Room” during the AfroTech Conference 2026 in Houston. It is the third installment of the groups’ ACE Your Health StoryMap series, an interactive, data-driven look at how AI, internet access and long-standing healthcare inequities are shaping the future of health in Black America.

The report warns that new technology does not instantly erase old gaps on its own.

“Too many Black communities continue to face healthcare deserts, provider shortages, clinic closures, inadequate internet access, and concerns about racial bias,” said Dr. Chris T. Pernell, Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. “If these gaps remain unaddressed, AI could inadvertently widen existing healthcare disparities instead of helping close them. Equity and fairness must be intentionally designed into the future of healthcare AI from the very beginning, not as patchwork fixes.”

The numbers show why. Nineteen percent of people who use AI for health information say they turned to it because they could not afford to see a provider, according to the report. Black adults are significantly more likely than White adults to use AI for mental health advice.

Meanwhile, the report finds, the health system many Black Americans rely on remains hard to reach. One in three Americans lives in a healthcare desert. In the Mississippi Delta, all 154,000 Black residents live more than 25 miles from a hospital rated four or five stars. About 3.8 million Black Americans live in homes without a broadband subscription, which limits their access to digital health tools and AI-enabled resources. Safety-net providers are likewise concerned about having access to these tools due to limited funding and training in their systems.

Trust may be the toughest barrier, says the NAACP. Nearly two-thirds of Black adults believe racial bias remains a major problem in healthcare, the report found, and one-third expect AI to make that bias worse.

The findings draw on the ACE Your Health initiative, national datasets and input from nearly 23,000 community members across 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The initiative launched in 2024 as a collaboration between the NAACP and Sanofi, which describes itself as an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company. The StoryMap follows the NAACP’s AI White Paper on designing AI for health equity and its Policy Framework for Equitable Health AI.

“Scientific innovation is transforming healthcare in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago, but innovation must be matched by intentional efforts to expand access, build trust, and address barriers that prevent communities from fully benefiting from these advances,” said Tanisha M. Sullivan, Head of External Engagement & Health Equity Strategy at Sanofi.

She added that pharmaceutical companies should do more than develop breakthrough medicines and technologies. “Pharmaceutical companies have an important role to play, not only in developing breakthrough medicines and technologies, but also in partnering with community organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers to ensure those innovations reach the people who need them most, ensuring no community gets left behind.”

The report also lays out steps communities can take, including expanding broadband adoption, building AI fluency and digital skills, strengthening community-based health education and advocating for equitable technology policies. It also invites community members to add their voices to the StoryMap.

The full report and other ACE Your Health resources are available at naacp.org.

Cecil Egbele reports from downtown Bakersfield as the annual Kern County Veterans Day Parade honors veterans and current service members. Hosted by American Post 26, the parade is a longtime California tradition.

#VeteransDay #VeteransDayParade #Bakersfield #KernCounty #SupportOurVeterans

✨ Throwback Thursday: A Salute to Excellence! ✨

We’re throwing it back to an unforgettable celebration of excellence, achievement and community at The St. Louis American’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence!

From honoring outstanding educators to celebrating the next generation of scholars, the evening was filled with inspiration, recognition and unforgettable moments.

Here’s another look at some of the faces and memories that made this celebration so special!

📸 by Alex Don Media Group.

Excellence never goes out of style!

#ThrowbackThursday #SaluteToExcellence #StLouisAmerican #BlackExcellence #STL

Ambition shouldn’t lead to hopelessness. When bills pile up and circumstances change, practical support can help lower financial pressure and put more money back in people’s pockets. #MN #Minnesota #Mpls #Minneapolis #StPaul #HennepinCounty #RamseyCounty #DebtRelief #FinancialHope #CreditHelp #FinancialWellness #CommunitySupport

What does it take to clear the path for entrepreneurs who have been locked out of traditional capital?

On this episode of MSR On the Radar, host Damenica Ellis sits down with Renay Dossman, president and CEO of the Neighborhood Development Center. Since 1993, NDC has supported entrepreneurs of color, immigrant business owners and underinvested founders across Twin Cities neighborhoods.

Dossman shares her path from Chicago to Duluth, through careers at Cargill and Target, running a restaurant and providing supportive housing with her husband, to leading one of the Twin Cities’ most important small business organizations. She breaks down how NDC helps founders through training, technical assistance, character-based lending and incubator space, and why the organization is adding advocacy as a fifth pillar.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
NDC’s four core pillars and its new focus on advocacy
How character-based loans open doors beyond credit scores
Incubators like Midtown Global Market with no mandatory exit deadlines
Leading with gratitude and strengths-based leadership
Showing up authentically as a Black woman executive
Avoiding predatory, high-interest loans
Why every leader needs a personal board of directors

Subscribe for new episodes of MSR On the Radar every week, spotlighting the Minnesota leaders and entrepreneurs shaping our community.

Visit Our Website

Home – updated

Read more stories by our team
https://defendernetwork.com/category/news/opinion/

Sign-up for the Top 5 newsletter

Defender Newsletters

Donate/ Support Our Work

Contribute to the Defender Network