Human first, AI second: Exploring how AI can connect local economies

As conversations around artificial intelligence often focus on automation, job loss and disruption, Dr. Kwame Porter Robinson believes the technology's future could look very different - if communities help shape it from the ground up.

At Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business, Robinson is exploring how AI can strengthen local economies, support human creativity and help communities build new forms of collaboration rather than replace them.

"When you start talking about AI being done from the bottom up, you get this really fundamentally different orientation," said Robinson, assistant professor of technology, information systems and analytics. "Instead of AI first, human second, you start to talk about human first, AI second."

For Robinson, that distinction changes the entire conversation around how AI is developed and used. Rather than treating AI solely as a tool for efficiency or labor replacement, he sees opportunities to use it to reduce repetitive work, support local businesses and create stronger community connections. Much of Robinson's research focuses on what he calls "community-based economies" - systems where technology helps people form new local networks for sharing resources, knowledge and opportunities.

"It is no secret that the sophisticated tools of artificial general intelligence are transforming industries and reshaping the future of work, and at the Mike Ilitch School of Business, we are deeply committed to discovering how these innovations can also strengthen our Detroit communities, expanding opportunity," said Virginia Franke Kleist, dean of the Ilitch School. "Dr. Robinson's highly interesting work is an outstanding example of the forward-thinking research taking place at the Ilitch School - intersecting technology, entrepreneurship and our community in ways that create measurable impact both locally and beyond."

One example he is currently exploring involves "hypersourcing" - an innovative way for businesses to source materials sustainably. Rather than relying entirely on large national suppliers, AI is used to identify unconventional local sources for materials and products. For example, if a business needed wire, it could connect with local dry cleaners who have an abundance of coat hangers that could be repurposed.

Beyond the sustainability benefits of hypersourcing, Robinson said the process creates new business-to-business relationships and conversations that otherwise might never happen.

"When you go to a large company, it's a quick transaction," he said. "But when you talk to someone about using things that they throw away or have a different use for, it becomes a broader conversation."

Robinson has also explored how AI can help protect cultural craftsmanship and local industries. In previous research, he studied how machine learning could help authenticate Kente cloth from Ghana by identifying traditional symbols and patterns that distinguish authentic handwoven textiles from counterfeit products.

For Robinson, projects like these demonstrate how AI can support communities when it is designed around local needs rather than imposed from the top down - and used as a tool rather than a replacement.

"A lot of the fear around AI is coming from systems that are implemented top down," Robinson said. "But if you can change the conversation by working at the grassroots level and discussing a human first, AI second approach, you can change how AI is used on the ground."

As AI technology continues to evolve rapidly, Robinson hopes more communities, businesses and individuals will help shape how it develops.

"It's not just a dollar bill - it's the ties between people that have another kind of value," he said. "By looking at those ties between people, you're able to ensure these technologies develop in a social fashion."