African Women in Artificial Intelligence
As human existence revolves more and more around technology, and the distinction between offline and online spheres of life continue to blur, it is only appropriate to consider the ramifications of creating various forms of life from that technology. One particularly disruptive technology that is changing the way the world operates is Artificial Intelligence (AI). As the science and advancement of AI develops, smart technologies are increasingly being deployed which will have profound ethical, psychological, social, economic, and legal consequences for human society and our planet. Although AI solutions have the potential to drive growth and development across major sectors such as finance, agriculture, and healthcare, the AI industry is currently still based in North America, Europe, and Asia, with Africa, unfortunately, still underrepresented (Jungblut, 2020). This is a three-part series that will explore the landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the African continent through a feminist lens. This first part outlines existing AI applications on the continent, factors that drive or hinder AI innovation, and ethical concerns surrounding the impact of AI on women in the African context.
