According to Time Magazine, renowned Nigerian-American computer scientist Chinasa Okolo is one of the 100 most influential figures in Artificial Intelligence.
The magazine made this public on Thursday through an online video featuring the recipients.
According to TIME magazine, Ms Okolo, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote portions for the African Union’s responsible AI adoption strategy, Nigeria’s national AI policy, and Yoshua Bengio’s International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI.
It was explained that, through this and her research, Ms Okolo is bringing attention to the advantages that deploying AI could have for African nations.
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TIME claims that among the advantages is the ability to identify agricultural diseases and floods and any possible adverse effects (such as cyberbullying on microlending sites).
“AI could help fuel socioeconomic development that has been much needed in Africa for the last half-century,” Ms Okolo said in an interview with TIMES.
“This competition could limit the autonomy of African countries and perpetuate neo-colonial practices that have negatively impacted their economies,” expressed Ms. Okolo.
Chinasa’s remarks
Chinasa said she is deeply honoured to have been recognised by TIME Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people in Artificial Intelligence.
“I’ve read TIME since childhood, and being featured in it is a vision fulfilled. Even more, receiving this recognition a year after earning my PhD and a year into my professional career motivates me to continue my research and advocacy.
“I’m proud that my work has stood out among the hype and that I’ve been able to advance multidisciplinary research agendas while making a real-world impact.
“I’m genuinely grateful to be recognised by TIME and look forward to joining my fellow honorees later this month in San Francisco!” Chinasa remarks on her LinkedIn page.
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More about Chinasa Okolo
She is presently concentrating on AI governance and policy in the Global South as a Fellow at The Brookings Institution. In the summer of 2023, she finished her doctorate in computer science at Cornell University.
In her dissertation, she looked at how frontline healthcare workers in rural India view AI and how explainability in AI may help the Global South’s inexperienced tech users. Her study at Brookings continues to investigate the potential of human-centred AI by researching datafication and algorithmic marginalisation in Africa, looking at how African governments might facilitate efficient AI and data governance, and assessing the effects of data work in the Global South.
She is a voracious reader, traveller, startup advisor, and (micro)investor in early-stage internet companies with an emphasis on Africa.