Rapper and entrepreneur Tip "T.I." Harris has put money into Pocstock, a Black-owned company in Newark, New Jersey, that licenses images, video and data showing diverse communities to brands, tech firms and AI developers, Black Enterprise reports. The size of the stake was not disclosed.
Founded by chief executive Steve Jones, Pocstock presents itself as a fix for gaps in representation in the material AI learns from, on terms where the creators behind it consent, keep ownership and get paid. Jones says the aim is a more responsible and representative layer of data for AI that brings creator communities along, with people of colour taking part as producers and owners rather than just consumers. The firm also plans to help younger creators build skills, protect their work and earn from it.
Harris framed the deal as part of his long interest in ownership beyond entertainment, saying his community's stories cannot be told properly without it at the wheel and that Pocstock captures the good in that culture. The deal comes amid wider rows over consent, copyright and pay for creators whose work trains AI models, and over who shares in the wealth the technology makes.
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