Google’s New Documentary Honors The Black Woman Behind FaceTime And Zoom

By Elizabeth Ayoola
Essence
https://www.essence.com/

Google has released The Art of Possible, a new documentary celebrating the extraordinary life of Marian Rogers Croak, Ph.D. The trailblazer and inventor is one of the reasons we can enjoy modern technology like Zoom and FaceTime. The documentary, which was released in honor of Women’s History Month, offers an intimate look at the woman whose innovations transformed the way we communicate with one another today.

Croak is the force behind Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, which powers every Zoom call, FaceTime session, and WhatsApp voice note we use. Holding over 200 patents, she has made immeasurable contributions to digital communication. She also invented text-to-donate technology in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a breakthrough that has raised billions of dollars for disaster relief worldwide. The mastermind is also one of the first two Black women inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

The documentary combines traditional filmmaking with Google’s own AI video technology Veo to visualize chapters of Croak’s story where historical footage is nonexistent. It is fitting that the documentary uses innovative AI that Croak herself now helps govern to preserve a legacy that might otherwise go unseen.

The Art of Possible features interviews with her family, engineers, and scientists whose work has been shaped by her discoveries, and senior Google leaders, including James Manyika, SVP of Google/Alphabet, and Melonie Parker, VP of Employee Engagement. The film paints a full picture of both her personal and professional journey.

Croak is still using her brilliance in the tech world—she serves as Google’s Vice President of Responsible AI. That entails leading the company’s efforts to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed ethically with humanity at the center.

The Art of Possible is essential viewing this Women’s History Month and the documentary is now live. Next time you’re using FaceTime or Zoom, remember it’s possible because a Black woman imagined it first.