Colin Kaepernick to join the AI Technical Space with New Company Called "Lumi"
- Geek Tech Gurus
- Sep 13, 2024
- 5 min read
From Super Bowl Contender To Social Activist
At the Har-bowl, two brothers competed for the Lombardi trophy in Super Bowl 47, where the lights went out for 34 minutes--New Orleans, where in the next couple of years, a light was due to shine for civic justice. Colin Kaepernick was up—and—coming quarterback. After being drafted in 2011, he was a backup for Alex Smith. Following that year, he became the new gold rush from the backfield, and although his throwing accuracy was supposedly questionable, he showed great poise in the pocket. His efforts led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013.
How did Colin Kaepernick go from being a Super Bowl champion runner-up to desiring to run an artificial intelligence (AI) creator company? To understand this, we have to find out where things began to take a massive turn in his football career during the 2016 season. Kaepernick started the preseason by staying in his seat during the National Anthem. Then, he took a knee throughout the rest of the games to exhibit mutual respect for a peaceful protest toward the country but also tried to show an act of understanding to military personnel for their contributions.
However, Colin's act came across as defiance to many. A peaceful protest became a perspective of disrespect. Some felt that a young man with a new 126 million dollar contract extension should just shut up and throw the football.
The question became why a young man who had been successful in his football career would take such a stand. Pointing to a quote of his when receiving the Courageous Advocate Award from the ACLU, "We all have an obligation no matter the risk, and regardless of reward, to stand up for our fellow men and women who are being oppressed with the understanding that human rights cannot be compromised," Kaepernick said accepting the award.
Well, one of Kaepernick's gripes was police brutality, which he determined to be a social justice issue for the black communities in America. Throughout the season, Kaepernick inspired others in the National Football League (NFL) and, even later the following year, players in the National Basketball Association (NBA), even after his alleged collusion with the NFL not signing him again after becoming a free agent that off-season.
(Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports illustration)
Many angry critics scrutinized his kneeling as an antic of disrespect to the people who served this country.
Despite this label, Kaepernick has received many awards for his civil stand over time. In 2017, GQ magazine named him Citizen of the Year, and the ACLU awarded him the Courageous Advocate Award. Also, in 2018, Nike used Kaepernick for a new advertising campaign with the slogan, "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything."
Is there reason to believe that Kaepernick was ostracized from the league? With many different narratives on the table, there is room for interpretation. Did Kaepernick try to get a message out concerning the inequality in the American system? Could there have been another way to protest without showing what some people thought was disdain for the police force? What was the meaning behind the socks he wore with cops portrayed as pigs disseminating?
Civil Activist to AI Startup
Now, from football player to civil activist and, to date, CEO of a company called "Lumi." Lumi will seek to use AI technology to allow people to create their narratives and share them without challenges with creative control and gating. To empower people to tell their stories without limits or biases.
It makes much sense, given his own narrative's twists and turns. Before I talk more about his efforts with Lumi, there was an interesting prequel to this story. In 2019, after he had a tryout back for the NFL, which he denied because Kaepernick refused to sign a liability waiver form, he held his workout or tryout at a local high school. Although Kaepernick showcased his talent, he was unfortunately still not signed.
In 2021, Kaepernick released a one-season drama show called "Colin in Black and White." this is an exciting play on words, given the social and racial inequalities he pointed to as the crux of the discussion. The trailer shows Colin's character going through several racial obstacles as a young black kid growing up in an American cultural framework.
Throughout the trailer, he discusses creating your destiny, changing the rules, and rising above social norms. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a new America that will soon take technology to a new level.
Kaepernick understands the vast growth in AI technology, and I am on the case as the Geek Guru. Lumi is a very telling sign of how soon AI technology will be more than just automation and will begin to shape cultural norms by giving everyone creative control. As the saying goes, "Life imitates art," I would say the time is coming when art will show forth an influence, and the narrative will be in the eyes of the beholder. Would this create a form of anarchy? In a world where anyone can perceive what they want to see? I guess we will see!
Advancement in the Creative Landscape
Lumi's supporter is an innovation company called Seven-Seven-Six (776 community), specializing in collaborations to move technology forward. He was also backed by many other stakeholders, totaling about 4 million dollars in capital funding. This calibration has the potential to be a benchmark in the way we view the creator space with the added lens of all who desire to tell their story and create.
Also, you need a J-O-B! Guess what? With the technology space rising, Kaepernick is hiring individuals with these skill sets, such as software engineers, machine learning engineers, and product designers. The salaries are lucrative, ranging from 150 to 200 thousand a year. I speak from the average blue-collar worker, of course. If you have done that already, that would be good for you. You made it; I'm still hungry to push forward in my success. All my hungry people get a skill set in these fields because it's about to go down.
Picture a world now where everyone can create whatever they want at any given moment. It's the new social media on steroids. From creation to automation, the possibilities are endless. Who knows what the future holds? If you can imagine it, you can create it. Scary, maybe, but the future indeed.
I found the work of the 776 community company very interesting. The advancements they are seeking far exceed just regular AI creation. The company is seeking to change everything as we know it with the advancement of technology in health, space, AI, and the creator economy. Pixar, I guess, has a soon-to-be-upcoming run for its money.
Kaepernick is riding the wave of new technology. I would advise everyone to take a serious look into these advancements. Not to worry, though—the Geek Guru is here to keep you informed on the latest movements in the technical space.
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