EP.145 - Christian Ortiz - "We Are All Imprisoned By This Damn System"

In this episode of Middle Fingers Up, I sit down with Christian Ortiz — Afro-Indigenous social scientist, technologist, and creator of Justice AIGPT — and this conversation hit me on so many levels.Christian grew up as a latchkey kid in 80s/90s Los Angeles and later confronted internalized racism, machismo, and white supremacy in the American South. With  a fierce single mother, and a lifetime of asking “why?” shaped a mission bigger than tech: challenging the systems that shape us before they erase us.This isn’t just a conversation about AI — it’s about identity, conviction, and the systems that shape our daily lives in ways we barely notice. We talk about how much AI is already embedded in our day-to-day, from the feeds we scroll to the faucets we wash our hands under — and how often we think these systems are broken, when really they were never built to recognize people like us.Christian breaks down how bias is coded into these tools, why decolonizing technology is not a luxury but a form of survival, and what it means for BIPOC communities. What I loved most? He doesn’t lecture. He doesn’t sugarcoat. He tells his story — and in doing so, holds up a mirror.You’ll walk away questioning the systems you’ve trusted, the stories you’ve inherited, and the parts of yourself you’ve outgrown. And you’ll hear the conviction behind his words: “If I can change, there’s no way in hell you can’t.”This episode is for anyone ready to question, reflect, and see how our voices need to be at the table shaping the future — not erased by it.JusticeAIGPT - www.justiceaigpt.caInstagram: zacatechoLinktree - OfficialChristianOrtizSupport the showIf you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" -  It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted!  Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.